I've Never Seen A More Closed Off Man
by carolinelaughs
Summary: This is a sequel story to my first story, "And Deep Down, You Know She's Right". Set in the same universe, this one is all about Steff and his life, and relationship with Elizabeth, again told from her point of view. This story is about their relationship/ups/downs, etc., Centrally focuses on Stefan's aversion to socialization which was briefly touched on in the first story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I try to make my stories to be stand-alone enough, so that even if one is a sequel, or prequel story, they can still fit into one another, and be enjoyed by the reader. However, I apologize in advance, but this story may (or, may not) be absolutely incomprehensible to anyone who has not read the story it is a sequel to. **

**So, (and I'm not trying to talk down to the readers here, swear, just trying to make sure nothing is confused) basically, what you need to know is:**

**1. This is a story about Steff, from the movie _Pretty in Pink._  
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**_2. _This story exists in its own specific universe, which I don't think contradicts the _movie_'s universe at all, but may not gel with novelizations, or other people's takes on it (however, I think very few of us disagree with the fact that the Blane character is the least interesting love interest that Andie could have possibly had), which of course I respect, whatever they may be. But this is my take on it, and don't worry (spoilers) this is not a Steff/Andie story in any way.**

**3. Which brings me of course to #3, this story is a sort of hybrid of _Secretary,_ and **_Pretty in Pink, _though it very much takes place in the **_Pretty in Pink _universe, **and Elizabeth, the protagonist of the story, is a "counterpart", as I call it, of Maggie Gyllenhaal, not the actress in real life of course, but a composite of many different characters she has played, Lee in some ways, but in other ways, especially personality and temperament, she is quite different than Lee. ****

****4. And, of course, other, incidental, and some integral details, people in his life, etc. and of the later life of Steff, or Stefan, as he is mostly known as, in this story, are based on other movies and TV shows that James Spader was in. Also, his last name is Grey in this (see #3), because as far as I'm concerned we're not told what Steff's name is in the movie, so it can be anything you want it to be. Also, again, even though he has quite a few character details of other JS characters, I do think that I've managed to keep Steff's personality that was in the original movie intact, and that it coalesces with the way that I view that he would be in later life. ****

****Other things? I don't really know where the idea of Elizabeth being a Stephen King fangirl came from, but I think it just spun out from the fact that I was most familiar with the movie _Dreamcatcher_, and saw the movie _Secretary_, and found it amusing that his name was the same as the alien villain, Mr. Gray, and it sort of just spun out from, there, a bunch of these references seem to fit into this story. I guess maybe the thing that it most fits with is why Elizabeth is so drawn to the idea of Andie and Cynthia (two of Stefan's ex-girlfriends in this story). _  
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****Anyway, enjoy, and happy reading!****

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><p>A short time after the evening that Elizabeth had gone to her friend's wedding without Stefan, Elizabeth and Stefan themselves got married. It was a courthouse wedding, and Stephen, who was Elizabeth's father and Stefan's law partner, was their witness.<p>

They had been together for nearly three years, when Elizabeth discovered that she was pregnant, with twin girls, it had turned out. The first was Amy Elizabeth Grey, named after Elizabeth's coworker and friend, Amy, and herself, and the second was Frances Joan Grey, whom Elizabeth had named after Frances Goldsmith, a major character in Elizabeth's favorite book, _The Stand_, written by her favorite writer, Stephen King. Frances' middle name came from Elizabeth's mother, who was named Joan.

When the twins were not even a year old, Elizabeth had again discovered that she was pregnant, this time it had turned out to be a boy, who Elizabeth named Stefan, who upon getting a little older, was known as Little Stefan, by the rest of the family.

Amy and Frances were lovely little girls, dark haired, and blue eyed, like Elizabeth, and Little Stefan was, naturally, a golden-haired little boy, with blue eyes, and light eyelashes, and unfortunately, was deathly allergic to a number of things, including nuts, tomatoes, shellfish, and perfume, as was Stefan. Elizabeth never wanted to admit such things to herself, as no parent does, but she had a soft spot for Little Stefan, in particular, since he looked so much like his father.

Elizabeth had always been somewhat of a loner, in high school, she had had very few friends or associates, preferring to devote her time to books, and how to get Toby, her future boyfriend, who for years had been the object of a painful, semi-obsessive, and mostly unrequited love, to notice her. She'd always had friends that she saw, people around her, in her adult life, but, she had never truly had a close friend that she'd made a meaningful connection with. Except for Stefan.

But Stefan was more of a loner than Elizabeth could ever hope to be. In high school, as he'd told her, he'd been very popular, and a social leader, but he'd been masking a painful shyness, and insecurity, which had its root in his mother being a cold, aloof woman who had rarely, if ever, shown him any affection, who was married to a strict and harsh man, who had had a special dislike for Stefan. Stefan, as a result of this, had been extremely reckless in his youth, doing everything in his power to anger his stepfather, which mostly consisted of throwing wild parties that wrecked his parents' house, smoking constantly, since, he'd told her, the age of eleven, being perpetually drunk, obstreperous, and most of all, having sex with a lot of different women, many of them, as he'd told her later, older, sometimes married women.

All of this had gone out all throughout high school, and college, but, as he'd told her, he'd made a great effort to change, he had stopped drinking, and, as he saw things, the root of his problems was that he was a liar. He had lied to many people, women, a great deal of the time, most of all his high school girlfriend, Bennie, who, as he told it, had had to put up with a great deal from him. So, Stefan had resolved never to lie again, excluding in his chosen profession, he was nothing if not pragmatic, however, he never lied in his personal dealings with people. Which was could be quite disconcerting, since even the most casual a question that was asked of him was sure to result in a direct, and often blunt, answer.

Stefan was known by his colleagues as a brilliant, as well as ruthless, when called for, attorney, however, he worked in private practice as long as she'd known him, being a solo practitioner until he had entered into partnership with Elizabeth's father, Stephen, which was how she had met him. Her father was a recovering alcoholic, who had had his driver's license suspended after a DUI, resulting in her having to drive him to work every day.

So it was that Stefan, in Elizabeth's observation, who worked in private practice, and had few to no friends, outside of work, was indeed a very closed off man, as his secretary, Tricia, had told her one day in confidence. That she had "never seen a more closed off" man, were her exact words. Later, Elizabeth had found out, from Stefan, that he and Tricia had dated, and had even slept together, for a period of time, but, according to him, Tricia was a very stern and driven individual, and they were far too much alike, so he had ended it. Tricia, Stefan had said, was hard around the edges, and Stefan had been searching, for a long time, for someone soft, and kind.

"By that you mean young, I guess." Elizabeth had said one day, shortly after they got married.

"No." Stefan said.

"You think _I'm_ soft of heart?" Elizabeth said.

"I do." Stefan said.

"After all the sarcastic remarks I've made?" Elizabeth said. "After all the times I've put you in your place? Especially when you needed it."

"Of course." Stefan said. "At heart, you're…soft. Sweet. I dare even say…subservient." He smiled at her.

"I _knew _that was what you were getting at." said Elizabeth.

"Well, aren't you?" said Stefan.

"In your dreams."  
>"Of course you are." Said Stefan. "The sarcasm, the insulting remarks, the insolence…"<br>"Insolence?"

"All just a cover." Stefan said. "For what you really want to do."

"And what would that be?"  
>"Submit completely to my will, of course." Said Stefan.<p>

Elizabeth shook her head. "You couldn't be more wrong, Stefan." She looked at him. "Maybe you're trying to confess to what _you_ want to do. It's okay. You need a female authority figure to keep you from being that person you so loathe."

So Stefan, being a closed-off man, saw very few people. His mother had died when he was in his twenties, and he and his stepfather had not spoken in two decades. Stefan had been raised an only child, and had almost no living relatives that she knew of. There were always stories he told, of people he knew, in law school, in college or high school, at firms where he'd worked before entering into private practice, and, primarily, of girlfriends or lovers he'd had, but, all these people seemed to have faded away with time, invariably for one reason or another. Stefan, it seemed to her, was a man of very hard luck in many ways.


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth enjoyed hearing about these aspects of Stefan's life, all of them, but especially the former girlfriends. She always acted like she was jealous, which she could be, if she felt she had any reason to be, but she always realized that she had nothing to worry about. But mostly, she liked hearing about his past, and visualizing where she would have been, in that time, and visualizing those moments in time.

"You do?" Stefan said, when she'd told him this.

"I do." Elizabeth said, smiling at him.

"That almost sounds romantic, Lizzie." Stefan said.

"I like visualizing myself, when you were in law school, and I was on the playground, at recess, jumping rope, maybe, and…"  
>Stefan shook his head, looking at her biting his lip. He looked at her, smiling. "With anyone?"<br>"By myself." She looked at him. "Why?"  
>"Always by yourself, weren't you, Lizzie?"<br>"I guess." Said Elizabeth flatly. "Why?"  
>"I just know. You're like me."<br>"You were always by yourself?"

"I would have been." Said Stefan. "If it weren't for Blane."

"Of course." Said Elizabeth.

"But you didn't have a Blane, did you Lizzie?" said Stefan, stroking her arm.

Elizabeth moved it away deftly, only to have Stefan put his hand back. "I guess I didn't." she shook her head. "My friends were…mostly imaginary."  
>"Yes." Said Stefan. "I thought they might have been."<br>"Oh, really?" Elizabeth said angrily. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
>"Now calm down, Liz. I only meant that you are a very…strange type of person." Said Stefan. "And life can't get strange enough for me."<br>"Uh huh." Elizabeth said. She sniffed, and looked into the distance.

"It's true." Said Stefan.

"I had a lot of imaginary boyfriends, too, you know." Elizabeth said. "Well, they weren't really imaginary. They were based on guys I knew, in school, and in the neighborhood, a lot of the time. Imaginary versions of them."  
>"I see." Stefan said. He shook his head. "I guess one of them would be Toby, then?" He said sourly.<p>

"Well, I did imagine that an imaginary version of Toby and I carried on conversations, because…well, I didn't have the courage to talk to the real Toby." She shook her head. "But there were guys…well, one guy, actually, that I liked, before I met Toby. He was a boy who was a few years older than me, who lived next door to us. He had long hair, and an earring, and was very…exotic looking. His mother was half Native American." She shook her head. "I imagined I was older, and he and I were a couple, and we went on all kinds of adventures together. Time traveling, mostly." She looked at him. "I had a little alarm clock…I'd wind it back, and pretend it was a time machine. Sometimes I'd carry it around with me, in case of a time-traveling…emergency."  
>"Of course." Stefan said.<p>

"Sometimes, my mother would come into my room, and she'd see that my alarm clock was set to twelve midnight or something, when it was really four in the afternoon or so, and she'd set it back, and I'd get so mad….I didn't want to tell anyone about my time traveling adventures. Not my parents, especially. I can only see the puzzled look on my mother's face…and my father would dismiss it, and say that I was just excercising my imagination…but he'd think it was strange, too. I can always tell."  
>"Oh, Stephen does appreciate what an imaginative person you are, Elizabeth." Stefan said quietly. He squeezed her hand. "But tell me more about this guy. He was a lot older?"<br>"He was a couple of years older than me, yeah. He was a teenager, and I was around ten or eleven. He had a garage band, that he practiced with sometimes. I thought he was very…beautiful. He had black hair, and black eyes, and-

"Uh huh." Stefan said. "And did you…talk to him at all?"  
>"No…not really." Elizabeth said. "Mostly I'd…watch him. I didn't want him to see me as this…ten year old, with…"<br>"With…"  
>"I won't say it." Elizabeth said. "I know it'd….delight you too much."<p>

"You can tell me, Lizzie." He squeezed her hand. "I only delight in helping you. You know that."

"Sure." Elizabeth said. She rolled her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. "With…with round cheeks, and-

"Ah." Stefan said. He smiled, stroking her cheek.

"See?" Elizabeth said. "It's not funny. I was teased about it in school. Some people called me 'Squirrel'."

"They liked you, I'm sure." Said Stefan. "That's why they said that."  
>"Uh huh." Elizabeth said. "They were very immature." She glared at him.<p>

"Well, perhaps you should have talked to them, Elizabeth, instead of spending so much time with your imaginary boyfriends. They were just trying to jog you into reality, you know."  
>"Oh, 'they', were, huh?" Elizabeth said. "Apt of you to put yourself in their shoes, Stefan." She looked at him pointedly. "<em>You<em> would have been one of the ones to say it the loudest, I'm sure."

"Of course I would." Said Stefan. "That's how I am, isn't it?"  
>"It is." Elizabeth said.<p>

"If only it weren't for the fact that…"  
>"Hmmm." Elizabeth said. "You weren't exactly in elementary school in those days?"<p>

"Indeed, Elizabeth." Said Stefan. "Like clockwork." He shook his head.

"I wont say it, if you won't say anything about chipmunks."

"Would your imaginary boyfriend have said anything about chipmunks, Elizabeth?"

"Indeed he would not." Elizabeth said. "He was much too courteous and refined."  
>"Imaginary paramours always are, aren't they?"<p>

Elizabeth glared at him. "His sense of humor was on a much higher plane, as I recall, than making childish jokes about people's appearance. Especially his…lover's." She looked pointedly at Stefan.

"Well, his sense of humor was your sense of humor, so I can see why you'd like it so much." Stefan said. "Far it be for me to be jealous of imaginary rivals, you know."

"Do you always have to be so…literal?" Elizabeth said.

"It's true." Said Stefan. "If you're going to try and make me jealous, you're going to have to do better than that."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't want to make you jealous. I just don't like being called a chipmunk or a squirrel."

"But they're cute. Chipmunks." Said Stefan.

"Sure." Elizabeth said. "Almost as cute as old guys with throat cancer."  
>"Not old, Elizabeth." Stefan said.<p>

"Middle-aged guys with throat cancer." Elizabeth said.

"Keep talking, Elizabeth," Stefan said. "And you may wish you could time travel back before you said that."

Elizabeth swallowed, feeling hurt at the jab, though she knew in the back of her mind that Stefan hadn't really meant to be mean-spirited, but her mouth began light years ahead of her brain, as it usually did when it came to situations like these. She remembered something that Toby had said to her in the bakery, a few years earlier, and found her lips forming the words.  
>"You ever…hear someone say something…and then it just comes all too true?" She looked at him, shaking her head, and then put her hand on his shoulder. "I had a friend who…said something like that once. And I never thought it would….come true. I laughed in their face when they said it."<p>

"Did you?" Stefan said.  
>"Yes. But it did. And then I'm wondering…." She bit her lip, placing her hand against his chest. "I'm wondering if maybe they might be a time traveler to have such expertly accurate knowledge of the future. What do you think?"<p>

"What are you babbling on about now, Elizabeth?" Stefan said irritably.

"Nothing, nothing at all." She looked at him. "But there's this Stephen King character…."  
>"Oh, dear." Said Stefan, shaking his head. "Not Stephen King again, Lizzie, please."<p>

"Who you're a lot like now. And his name begins with a 'G'."

"Mr. Gray?" Stefan said.

"Nooo…"

"Oh?" Stefan said. "Who, then?"  
>Elizabeth began to feel uncertain, and swallowed hard. "Um…"<br>"Lizzie." Stefan said. "You're trembling."  
>She was, and she began to feel a few pangs of regret. Stefan traced her hand slowly. Elizabeth coughed nervously, and began to laugh. Stefan smiled at her, seemingly sweetly but she recognized an avid look of curiosity behind it. He stroked her hair. She continued laughing, feeling her face getting very red.<p>

"You seem very amused by something, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.

"I…I am." Said Elizabeth.

"Well, tell me." Stefan said.

"I…can't." Elizabeth said, shaking her head, smiling nervously.

"I want to be in on the joke too, Lizzie." Said Stefan.

"Do you?" Elizabeth said wryly.

"Yes." Stefan said. "What character?"  
>"Er….um…Pennywise, of course." Elizabeth.<p>

Stefan shuddered. "Pennywise. I can't imagine how you could ever read that book and have the lights off, ever again, Elizabeth."

"Yes." Said Elizabeth.

"And then you tried to subject _me_ to the movie." Said Stefan. "When the cover alone was likely to drive me to complete insanity."

"I was trying to help you conquer your fear, Stefan." Said Elizabeth. Stefan had a deathly fear of clowns.

"I'm not so sure." Stefan said.

"I was." Said Elizabeth. "Trying to help you." She bit her lip.

"I don't need help like that, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "Next time you think of a way to try to help me, please don't."

"Fine." Said Elizabeth.

"How exactly am I like Pennywise, may I ask, Elizabeth?" said Stefan.

"Well, in the book, Pennywise would…make people completely…saturated with fear by the things he would do. And he would do this, because fear was like a…sauce that would make them…taste all the more delicious to him. To it."  
>"And you think that <em>I'm<em> like this?" Stefan said.

"Well…as a lawyer, you know. To opposing counsel. In a sense." Elizabeth looked at him.

"And to you." Stefan said.

"Well…yes." Said Elizabeth. "You love to intimidate me. Or…try."  
>"And you think that you taste like…fear right now, Elizabeth?" Stefan said.<p>

Elizabeth began to laugh. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. What do I have to be afraid of?"  
>"Only yourself, Lizzie." Said Stefan. "But tell me, what friend of yours said this?"<br>Elizabeth bit her lip, the thought being unthinkable to her how utterly impolitic it was of her to quote Toby, her ex-lover, of whom Stefan was very jealous, in this context, not to mention how unthinkably ugly and messy it would be if he found out exactly what she had meant, and who said it.

"Oh…it was me. You know how sometimes people say 'a friend' and they mean themselves." She smiled worriedly, and looked at him.

"Was it, though, Lizzie?" Stefan said.

"Of course." Said Elizabeth. There was an uncertain silence.

"Stefan, you know I…I told you about the time travel thing because I…wanted you to understand something about me, and I…I thought you were making fun of me."  
>"I see." Stefan said quietly.<p>

"And…I don't like the idea of people thinking that I'm…well…"  
>"Nuts?" Stefan said, raising an eyebrow.<p>

Elizabeth shook her head, her mouth drawn tight.

Stefan put a hand on her shoulder. "Elizabeth." He said. "I never, even for a second thought that you were crazy. I in fact thought that the time traveling world you made up was very creative."

"I know." Said Elizabeth. "But for a second I thought…you think that I'm crazy."  
>"Never, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.<p>

"Well, I'm sorry, then." Said Elizabeth.

"For what?"  
>"For saying that you're like Pennywise."<p>

"Was that really what you were saying,Elizabeth?"  
>"Of course." Said Elizabeth. "What else would I have been saying?" Her face grew warm, and she looked at the floor sadly.<p>

"You know, when your face gets red like that, it reminds me of strawberries, Lizzie." He cupped her face in his hands. "Two lovely, round strawberries."  
>"Oh, more jokes about my round cheeks, huh?" Elizabeth said angrily. "How classy."<br>"Not really." Stefan said. "Besides, I said they were lovely round cheeks."  
>"When my cheeks get red, they look like strawberries, do they?" said Elizabeth.<p>

"Indeed they do." Said Stefan.

"Interesting metaphor." Elizabeth said. "Strawberries."

"Why?" Stefan said.

Elizabeth shook her head, and looked off to the side, laughing.

"Elizabeth-

"You know in _Stand By Me-_

"Oh no." said Stefan. "Old Stevie again."  
>"There was this character…what was his name again? That makes me think of you."<p>

"I tried to block out anything Stephen King related, you've subjected me to, Liz."

"I forget, but he was-

"He was what, Elizabeth?"

"He was um…he was a lawyer, of course. He became a lawyer. And that's…why he makes me think of you. Stephen King is always writing about…lawyers. Isn't he, Stefan?"  
>"I suppose so, Elizabeth." Stefan said. He patted her hand.<p>

"Indeed. A running theme."

"Very interesting." Said Stefan. "But what does any of it have to do with time travel?"  
>"What?" Elizabeth said.<p>

"You said 'a friend' of yours, who you were claiming was yourself, said something so accurate about me that you'd swear that they were a time traveler. And then you claimed that it was that I was like Pennywise."  
>"Yes." Said Elizabeth.<p>

"But what does that have to do with time travel?" said Stefan. "How did we get from time travel to my supposedly being like Pennywise?"  
>"Oh, would you quit interrogating me?" Elizabeth said crossly. "Who do you think you are, Perry Mason?"<br>"Perry Mason, Elizabeth?" said Stefan. "Why would you say Perry Mason?"  
>"Because…you're a lawyer?"<p>

"Of course. Just like Stephen King is always writing about, then?"

"Just like." Elizabeth said.

"I see." Said Stefan. "But I still don't see what any of it has to do with time travel."  
>"Stefan, if you think I was saying something insulting about you, whatever you think it may be, why are you trying to play these cat-and-mouse games with me? I swear, you must have a masochistic streak a mile wide."<br>"I do, actually." Said Stefan. "It has to do with the way I was in the past, you know."  
>"What, because you teased some slut back in high school, about being poor, because you liked her more than the other slut you were banging?"<br>"Most ugly words, Elizabeth." said Stefan. "But I'm a…very…self-destructive person-

"No, you're not." Said Elizabeth.

"Well, I was, when I was younger. And I need a woman such as yourself to help me…compartmentalize it. To express my self-loathing in a…healthy outlet, you see."  
>"Well, that's not what I'm talking about, Stefan." Said Elizabeth.<p>

"No, you're right. It isn't. But I must know. I must try to make sense of your statements. Masochistic or no."  
>"Why?"<br>"Because it bothers me."

"Well, I refuse to be intimidated like this."  
>"You know how I dislike liars, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.<p>

"I'm not a liar." Said Elizabeth.

"Oh, I think you are." Said Stefan. "Either that, or you're schizophrenic."  
>"What?"<br>"Not because you had an imaginary friend that you went on time traveling adventures with as a child, but because your statement makes no sense if you're really telling the truth."  
>"You used the word schizophrenic deliberately, <em>Steff<em>." Elizabeth said.

"I told you never to call me that." Stefan said. "Maybe I did. Maybe I thought it'd get your attention. Not because I believe you to be schizophrenic, but because I think you're just the opposite."

"Liar!" Elizabeth said angrily. "_You're_ the liar, Stefan."  
>"No, I'm not, Elizabeth. I never once believed you to be schizophrenic, but you clearly have the worry that others will, because of your adventures with…what was his name? Your imaginary friend?"<p>

"You're the worst liar I've ever seen." Elizabeth muttered.

"But because of your adventures with your imaginary friend, you clearly have a chip on your shoulder, thinking that others, especially me, will think that you're mentally…off, when I thought no such thing. I did, however, choose to exploit this fear of yours, by using the word, in order to get your attention. But I certainly never thought that you were schizophrenic, just because you had an imaginary boyfriend when you were a child."  
>"Frank." Elizabeth said. "His name was Frank."<p>

"Well." Said Stefan. "I never thought you were schizophrenic for going on time-traveling adventures with Frank."  
>"I don't believe you." Elizabeth said.<p>

"You should believe me, Liz. I've never once lied to you."

"I imagined that Frank showed me how to bend space and time…to slow it down, if I wanted. I imagined that he gave me the clock, as my vessel. That's what I'd call it."  
>"Well, it sounds fun, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.<p>

"His eye was gone. Not the real Frank, of course." Said Elizabeth. "The imaginary one. He told me that it was my task to go back in time, and save different people. He told me that if I saved enough people, that I could help save him. He never would tell me how he lost his eye."

"I see."

"He told me all about time travel, how people have this energy that radiates through their chests, and how you must travel through God's channel, in order to make things right. He said that I must never, never let anything sever the timeline, or I could possibly rip the fabric of space and time. That was why I got so upset at my mother for setting the clock back to the real time. She had severed the timeline, and my mission was incomplete."  
>"Of course." said Stefan.<p>

"But I was never, never unaware of the fact that it was anything but a game." Said Elizabeth. "But it was a game I took very seriously, is all."  
>"I know, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.<p>

"I was not schizophrenic." Said Elizabeth. "And…no matter what you may say, I think…you think I'm crazy."  
>"Only for thinking that." Said Stefan. "That I think you're crazy."<br>Elizabeth shook her head. "No." she said.

"No, what?" Stefan said. "It happens to be true. But what is it exactly that…you predicted about me that-

"I don't want to tell you." Said Elizabeth.

"Best just to be honest." Said Stefan.

"I think you must have some idea." Said Elizabeth.

"Tell me."

"That you'd be….a little…chubbier." Elizabeth muttered, looking off into the distance.

"I see." Said Stefan.

"Like…like Harold in _The Stand_. I always thought Harold was sexy. I always got turned on by the scene in the book, in which Harold and Nadine-

"And Gerald. With a 'G'. See, I know these things. If you wanted to insult me slyly, you shouldn't be talking about these characters constantly, as you do. You said it began with a 'G'. You should have come up with something better than 'Pennywise', which does not in fact, begin with a 'G'. So. You lied. You must have either been trying to exploit my fear of clowns, or you must think I'm incredibly stupid, to not catch that. Perhaps you're a liar, and diabolically cruel as well."  
>"Oh, I was not trying to exploit your fear of clowns. I would never do that." Elizabeth said.<p>

"I've tried so hard to teach you not to be a liar, Elizabeth."

"Teach me?" Elizabeth said. "Please. You really have a grandiose sense of yourself, Stefan."  
>"Not so grandiose." Said Stefan. "I've tried to influence you to be a completely truthful person, Elizabeth. But it didn't take. You're mean-spirited, and a cowardly liar."<p>

"Okay. So I backtracked on what I said, and lied to spare your feelings, Stefan. Maybe you should try a little tact yourself some time."

"I have tact." Stefan said. "I just don't express it as a lie, the way most people do."  
>"I know that makes sense to your mind." Elizabeth said. "But not to anyone normal."<br>"There's no one normal in this room, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.

"Oh, really? Why don't you just say it? You don't think I'm normal, because I had imaginary friends, and pretended to time travel. Or maybe it was because I was so obsessed with Toby for so many years."  
>"Perhaps that more than anything else, Elizabeth. Not to mention being obsessed with this…Frank, at the age of ten, before Toby came along. Not to mention your obsession with Stephen King. I don't think it's healthy, to be perfectly…frank." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I say this to help you, Lizzie."<p>

"You know when I said you were…so handsome, I could cry, a few years ago, when we were first dating?" said Elizabeth, swallowing hard.

"I do." Said Stefan.

"Well…well, if I had my little vessel, my alarm clock, I'd go back, and…live there. In that time period."  
>"Would you?" Stefan said.<p>

"Yeah." Said Elizabeth. "Because now you're…not. Not so handsome I could cry anymore."  
>"I'm not?" said Stefan, and Elizabeth only needed to read the expression on his face to know the impact of her words. His mouth formed a painful downward rictus, and his eyes searched her face, urgently.<p>

But Elizabeth swallowed, looking away from him. "Not anymore." She repeated. "Not anymore. And it must be torturous. You were always so good-looking. So many women…telling you you were. And you knew it. That's why it was so awful when Andie liked your friend better. You just couldn't stand it, could you."  
>"Elizabeth."<br>"Poor little rich boy Steff." Elizabeth spat out, her cute, upturned features twisted in a vicious snarl. "Nobody wants you. Your mother didn't want you. Andie didn't want you. And now, I want you less than Andie wanted you back then. It must be awful. Torturous. What would Andie say if she could see you now? What would she say, huh? Now that you're a…fat tub of guts? Still going to run after Andie? Who hated you, Steff. She hated you." Elizabeth's eyes glowed bright with angry, ferocious tears. "And it hurts, doesn't it?"

Stefan grabbed her suddenly, and held her against him fiercely. Elizabeth struggled, but he wouldn't let her go.

"No, get off of me!" She protested, her throat no longer containing the sobs that she'd been holding back.

"Shhhh." Stefan said.

"It hurts." Elizabeth repeated, still crying. "Everybody thinks…thinks I'm crazy. And it hurts so much, Stefan." She sobbed loudly against his shoulder. "You think I'm crazy, too. I don't care what Toby thought, or my parents or anyone else. Or Frank, if he ever knew I existed back then. But you…"  
>Stefan pressed his face against hers for a moment, then looked up at her. There were tears in his eyes as well, but they didn't fall.<p>

"I'm sorry you thought that,Lizzie." He said quietly. "But I've never once…I've never thought you were crazy. The problem is that _you_…think as much of yourself. And…what you think of yourself can…have a significant impact on your outlook on things, not to mention…not to mention your treatment of others."

Elizabeth sniffled. "I guess."

"I know." Stefan said firmly.

"Okay. I know you know." Said Elizabeth. "Maybe I am crazy. I went nuts and lashed out, and said things I didn't even remotely mean."  
>"Oh, so you think you can get away with it by pulling the 'crazy' card, do you?" Stefan said. "Sorry, Liz, but I'm not buying it."<br>"I'm not trying to-

"You're just extremely vicious. I would have to be completely drunk out of my mind to say the things you said." Said Stefan. "And I can be extremely spiteful, I admit."

"I'm not vicious. That's characterizing. I was just being vicious at that particular moment."  
>"Call it what you want. Such behavior is most unbecoming, Elizabeth." He shook his head. "But…I'm sorry that you were hurt. I don't like…seeing you cry like that, Lizzie. It…upsets me greatly."<p>

"It does?" Elizabeth said.

"Of course it does. You should know that." Stefan said. "And I…care about what you think, too…so…I understand….I've never thought you were crazy, and…if anybody ever said so, that person would greatly regret it, if I ever encountered them. I don't have a single disparaging word to say about you, Lizzie. Not unless it was to help you. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Said Elizabeth.

"I've been attracted to you from the moment that I first laid eyes on you." Said Stefan. "And that was a different thing."  
>"Different?" said Elizabeth. "Different from what?"<p>

"Different…from the love that I came to have for you, of course." Said Stefan. "I just want to help you…because I love you so much. I thought you'd have understood that by now."  
>"I do understand." Said Elizabeth. "But you're so….superior…you…act so superior, sometimes, and so…imperious, and so knowing…and then you have that way you have of looking at me. That look you give. It's a knowing….leer, almost. And your eyes lock on me in a penetrating gaze… You don't know what it does to me. Inside."<br>"What _does _it do to you, Lizzie?" said Stefan.

"Makes me angry, Stefan." Said Elizabeth.

"Really." Said Stefan. "I'm not so sure."  
>"I am." Said Elizabeth. "A churning anger, in fact."<br>"Maybe that's some _other_ type of emotion churning inside of you, Lizzie." said Stefan. "Interesting phraseology, you used. Churning. And penetrating."  
>"Oh, please." Said Elizabeth scornfully. "Everything always comes back to that with you, doesn't it? Everything is some…erotic metaphor."<br>"Everything is erotic, Lizzie."  
>"Not everything." Said Elizabeth. "Believe me, there's nothing sexy about the annoyance I feel, whenever trying to reason with you."<br>"Whenever _you_ try to reason with me?" said Stefan. "Now that's really rich."  
>"Oh, so I'm unreasonable?" Elizabeth said. "Crazy?"<br>"Not crazy." Said Stefan. "Certainly….volatile. Hostile, without a doubt."

"You haven't examined what _you're _like." Said Elizabeth. "And we have yet to touch upon how bossy you are. And how dictatorial you can be."  
>"I'd rather not touch on that, if you don't mind." Said Stefan. "And what if I was bossy? Didn't you enter into this marriage, knowing that I can be that way?"<p>

"I did." Said Elizabeth. "That doesn't mean I have to like it. Does it?"  
>"Perhaps not. But you still have to like me." Said Stefan.<p>

Elizabeth swallowed. "I do like you." She said. "Very much."

"I'd hate to be someone who you didn't, then Lizzie." Said Stefan. "With some of the things you've said to me tonight."

"I didn't…mean them." Said Elizabeth. "Not a word."  
>"What's all this about Andie, Elizabeth?" said Stefan. "I don't care about what Andie thinks. I haven't seen her since we graduated. Why would I care if she found me attractive or not?"<br>Elizabeth swallowed. "I…just worry…that she's…the one that got away."  
>"Don't be absurd." Stefan said scornfully. "I don't even give her a thought. Not until you bring her up. And then my feelings for her are the same as they've been for years. Indifference."<p>

"I hope so." Elizabeth said.

"You don't need to hope, Elizabeth." Said Stefan. "You can just take my word for it."

"Well, anyway, I…I said horrible things." Elizabeth said.

"I don't care…" said Stefan quietly. "If _Andie_ were no longer to think I was attractive."  
>"Stefan-<p>

"Just you, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "And you should know that. I don't give a shit what _Andie_ thinks. Was that…was that some kind of metaphor for yourself, Elizabeth?" He looked at her, hurt etched onto his face.

"I…no….maybe…"  
>"That you're not attracted to me anymore?" Stefan said.<p>

"I…it was a lie." Said Elizabeth. She felt a lump in her throat, and tears start to form.

"You said I'm no longer so handsome you could cry." Said Stefan. "I'm no longer attractive to you anymore, you meant. Didn't you?"

"That was definitely a lie." Elizabeth said. "That was the biggest lie of all. And the worst."

"Was it?" said Stefan. "It didn't seem that way to me."  
>"It was." Elizabeth said.<p>

"I usually hope you don't lie, Elizabeth." Stefan said, quietly. "But now I find myself hoping that you were. If anything that you ever said was a lie, I…I hope it was that."  
>Elizabeth felt terrible, and was at a loss for words.<p>

"I was so touched, when you said that to me all those years ago. Of course, I know what gifts I have, and what gifts I don't have, and one of them is being good-looking. I'm not egotistical about it, but I like to make sure it's acknowleged." Said Stefan. "Especially by the…resistant sort. Which you were."

Elizabeth smiled. "I was."

"You asked me if I remember it. Of course I remember it. It was so…very sweet. To hear…to hear it come out of the mouth of someone that I….so adore. And who I thought didn't…adore me. At least not as much as…." He shook his head. "And then I….I realized that you did, in that moment. That you've always thought of me as a very attractive man. Of course I am, but you're so…odd, that you might not like that. And you're right. I've had a lot of lovers, and a lot of women show interest in me over the years. But I don't care about what _they _thought. It meant so much that you thought of me that way."

"Stefan, I was just…being spiteful. I thought that you-

"And now you don't. Just because I'm a little heavier?"

"No…I told you…I was never-

"I remember, saying to you, that time, that you could never take it back. I thought that you couldn't. But I was wrong."  
>"Stefan-<p>

"You've rescinded it." Said Stefan.

"I have not." Elizabeth said.

"You have." Said Stefan. "I can't believe you would ever say such a thing to me, Lizzie."  
>"I said I was sorry." Elizabeth said. "What more do you want?"<br>"Are you really no longer attracted to me, Elizabeth?" said Stefan.

"No!" said Elizabeth. "I mean, yes. Of course I am."  
>"You said I was chubby." Said Stefan.<p>

"Well, Stephen King is always writing about fat guys, and I….I got kind of turned on…by some of it."

"You're saying that I am, in fact, chubby?" Stefan said.

"Well…aren't you?" said Elizabeth. "Haven't you…gotten kind of…overweight, these past couple of years?"  
>"Well…I thought you….hadn't noticed, Elizabeth. You've never said anything before."<br>"Goodness, did you think I didn't have any vision?" said Elizabeth. "Or….sense of touch?"

"Elizabeth!" Stefan said, shocked. "I'm hurt by that statement. I guess it goes with my no longer being so handsome you could cry, though, doesn't it?"  
>"Yes, you are…and…I still find you as attractive as ever. I do."<br>"Do you?" said Stefan. "You just implied that you'd have to be visually impaired not to notice how fat I am."  
>Elizabeth struggled not to laugh, but failed. "I-<p>

"Oh, so it's funny to you, is it?" said Stefan.

"A little funny. Can't you have a sense of humor about yourself, Stefan?" said Elizabeth.

"I'm very…insecure about my…physical self, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "So no. Not really."

"Oh, come on." Elizabeth said. "As Ms. Walsh and myself know very well, hell hath no fury like Stefan scorned, but can't you just…forgive and forget?"  
>"Forget that you said that I'm no longer attractive to you?" said Stefan. "I wish I could forget that kind of scorn, Elizabeth." He shook his head. "Once again, I don't know exactly what Andie has to do with anything, but whatever rejection I experienced from someone as an eighteen year old greatly pales in comparison to someone you've loved and been married to for several years telling you they no longer find you attractive. Fury? I was crushed, Lizzie."<p>

"I know." Elizabeth said sadly. She touched his hand. "I didn't mean it. I am still attracted to you."

"I don't know if I believe you, Lizzie." Said Stefan.

"Well, it's true…I am still attracted…even though you're a little chubby now…." Elizabeth said. Stefan glared at her. "Well, you wanted me to be honest." Elizabeth said. "Because you're still very sexy."  
>"I see. Still so handsome you could cry, though?"<br>"Of course. You are, Stefan. I was…very angry when I said that."  
>"It was a terrible thing to say, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "To someone who loves you so."<br>"And I love you." Elizabeth said, quickly. She hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry." She whispered in his ear.

"I hope so. And for saying I'm like a vile, supernatural clown?"  
>"Only because you like to stir up fear in people. Specifically me."<br>"They say the human brain confuses fear with passion, you know." Stefan said. "You should be ripe with desire by now."  
>Elizabeth shook her head, rolling her eyes.<p>

"You know, while you had the nickname 'Squirrel', I also had a nickname. In law school. You know what it was?"  
>"I'm sure you're going to tell me."said Elizabeth.<p>

"They called me 'The grey wolf'." Said Stefan. "Because of my last name, you know. And of course, because I was such a shrewd, intimidating lawyer. Struck fear into the hearts of everyone there. The kind of fear you'd have if you were alone with a wolf in the forest."  
>"I think you'd be more like a blond wolf than a grey one. "said Elizabeth. "But I can see how that would work."<br>"No, definitely a 'Grey' wolf, Elizabeth." Said Stefan. "A very fearful thing indeed."  
>"But I thought you told me that everyone around you, when you got a little more mature, and stopped trying to anger your stepfather, always said what a nice, personable guy you are, Stefan. Including in law school." She looked at him. "I don't think you're a grey wolf. I think you're really a nice guy, with a good heart."<br>"I am a nice guy, and it's true that they did say that." Said Stefan. "In law school, I had a roommate one year. He was from India. He said that in his country, the wolf is not regarded as evil, and that I had what he called 'the analog of the wolf'. He said that those with the analog of the wolf are not necessarily evil, unless there is something else in their nature that makes them that way. So. To be a grey wolf is certainly not a bad thing. If you use it for good, that is."

"And you do." Said Elizabeth. "Use it for good."  
>"Of course." Said Stefan.<p>

"I see."

"But that's why you're so afraid of me at times, Elizabeth." Said Stefan. "Because I have the nature of the wolf, you see. The analog of the wolf. It's only natural to feel fear around me….but not the kind you would around…Pennywise." He shook his head in disgust.

"Uh huh." Elizabeth said. "And…you _do_ know that Pennywise isn't real, right?"

"Very nice of you to mock my phobia, Elizabeth." Said Stefan. "I have a serious condition, and you make jokes about it. Maybe you're like Pennywise."  
>"I'm not." Said Elizabeth. "It was just a joke. I didn't mean to make you feel bad about your fear." She shook her head. "Analog of the wolf." She said. "That's the silliest thing I ever heard."<p>

"Not at all, Lizzie. I'm a grey wolf by nature. And you know what wolves like to hunt a great deal of the time?" Stefan asked.

"No, what?" Elizabeth said.

"Chipmunks."

"Oh, of course." Elizabeth said. "Well, listen, Mr. Grey Wolf, I think…you may have been hunting…a few too many chipmunks over the years." She patted him on the back.

"You're the only chipmunk I want to hunt, Lizzie." Said Stefan.

"I know." Said Elizabeth. "I meant-

"I know what you meant." Said Stefan. "And I chose to ignore it. As one would the inane chatter of a silly chipmunk."  
>"Better watch it." Elizabeth said.<p>

"As long as the chipmunk still finds me as…sleek as I was when I first…started hunting her." Stefan said, his eyes searching hers.

"Of course." Said Elizabeth, swallowing. She hugged him, and looked up at him, smiling softly. "Just as sleek."


	3. Chapter 3

When Elizabeth found out that she was pregnant for the first time, she experienced an odd feeling as, pregnant women often do, of loneliness and isolation. Stefan went to work each day, and of course, was a kind and loving husband, but, as Elizabeth stayed at home, she found herself increasingly, and increasingly, longing for a female friend to talk to. Which was something Stefan greatly disapproved of, as he hated socializing of any kind, unless it was work-related, and felt that there was only room for themselves in their lives.

But Elizabeth disagreed at times, she felt that she needed someone to talk to, with an outside perspective. But the closest thing to a female friend that she had was Amy, a friend of hers who had worked with her at the bakery. But Elizabeth had not truly felt a strong connection with Amy, and even felt that Amy had thought of her as being a little weird, and not in a good way either, because of Elizabeth's years-long devotion to their boss, and Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend, Toby. But Amy had moved, out to a small suburb of Illinois, with her husband, in any case, and they had not really kept in touch all that much.

And now, there was only one man Elizabeth was devotedto, and in a much deeper, and more meaningful way than she had ever been to her previous and only boyfriend, in fact, she took a strong interest in Stefan's life, every aspect of it.

She enjoyed hearing about Blane, of course, his best friend in high school, who had, according to Stefan, stopped speaking to him after graduation.

She enjoyed hearing about other male friends of his, never ones as close as Blane, but who also usually faded in and out of his life.

But mostly, there were the girlfriends. Stefan, it seemed, had an anecdote for nearly every occasion, that involved some sort of past lover or girlfriend. And she was curious about them all.

There was Bennie Hansen, his high school girlfriend, who was a well-to-do young woman, who Stefan said resembled Kim Basinger, which she wasn't too keen to hear. Bennie had a sister, Cathy, who Stefan said he had cheated on her with, all throughout high school. Cathy, he said, was more like him than Bennie was, as her life's goal was to try to displease their father, which Cathy did by 'shoveling shit up her nose', as Stefan put it, but, as he pointed out to her, he himself had never done anything harder than marijuana in those days, and, in fact had tried to tell Cathy how stupid she was being by using cocaine, but she didn't listen. He had lost touch with Cathy, but Bennie had actually turned out to be far worse than Cathy, he had met her one day while she was in town visiting her parents. They had had a couple of dates, and had even, spent several nights together, but Bennie, as he later found out, had neglected to mention the fact that she was married, and was using Stefan to get back at her husband, for what turned out to be a minor quarrel. And Stefan was naturally, quite hurt and disappointed with this betrayal, and never spoke to her again.

There was Diana, a fellow law student, who he had dated briefly, but who had broken up with him for Peter, his roommate, citing that Peter was fun, and exciting, and insinuating that Stefan was dull, and boring.

There was Andie, of course. The girl in the pink dress, as Stefan referred to her.

There was a whole host of other women who Stefan had briefly dated before he met her, who just hadn't worked out very well, including, but certainly not limited to, his former secretary, Tricia. Tricia had taken a job at another firm, shortly after Elizabeth and Stefan had gotten married, and now their practice had a male administrative assistant, as they were called now, whose name was Clarence.

And then there was Cynthia. Stefan had indeed had quite a lot of females in his life, but, Cynthia was the only one with whom Stefan had had a serious relationship with. He had been engaged to Cynthia, for two years, perhaps the longest relationship of his life besides herself, in fact.

Of course, it had ended abruptly, and, in a very ugly fashion, when Stefan had found an earring of Cynthia's, in the upstairs bathroom of another attorney, John, who at that time had been a close friend of Stefan's. The two of them had been seeing each other for some time. Stefan, devastated had reacted quite angrily.

"What did you do?" said Elizabeth.

"I had her things shipped to his apartment…that is, what I didn't tear up. I…broke a few of her things. Since childhood, I've had a bad habit of…breaking things, when I got upset. When I was younger, I would break my toys, sometimes. Of course, my stepfather would always punish me for it, usually by locking me in my room for an extended period of time."  
>"Oh, Stefan." Elizabeth shook her head. "You shouldn't have broken her things. That lowered you to herlevel."<br>"Not really." Stefan shrugged. "I broke a few sculptures of hers, but she broke my heart. At that time, of course. Now, I couldn't care less."  
>"I'm glad." Said Elizabeth. "You broke her sculptures? You better hope you don't tear up anything of mine."<br>"You'd better be good, then." Stefan said. "And her boots. I cut those up with scissors." He shook his head, and looked thoughtful. "She loved those boots."  
>"I'm glad you got such enjoyment out of it." Elizabeth said.<p>

"I did." Said Stefan. "But now I don't care about her, or her boots. I should be thanking her, in fact."He squeezed her hand.

"I guess…" said Elizabeth. "I should be, too." She smiled at him.

"You _guess_ you should?"  
>"No…I should be." Said Elizabeth. "But I wonder…why she would do it? Cheat on you with some creep, when you would have loved her for the rest of her life?"<br>"I don't know, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "Nor do I care, for that matter."  
>But Elizabeth did, sometimes. Sometimes, it bothered her a great deal, especially during those hormone surges, in the last few months. Other things bothered her, too, and she wanted to know a great deal of things. She wanted to know how a person could so easily disown a person he'd known since kindergarten, who'd he'd known to be a deeply lonely, and unhappy individual. She wanted to know why a young woman thought she should so easily be rude to a person who had done nothing to her to upset her, and in addition, though she realized, it was slightly childish, she also wanted to know how the said young woman could reject such a handsome, and more than that, sexy, in her estimation, individual. And, of course, she wanted to know about Cynthia. How someone who had actually lived with Stefan, and known what a terrific person he was, if he was anything like what he was like as she'd known him, could possibly want to throw him over for a crude, and sleazy individual, not to mention a liar, as Stefan had described him to be.<p>

Of course, she took a great deal of what Stefan had said with a grain of salt. Stefan called a lot of people liars, even if they were simply not the sort of person who would readily tell you that 'you could use the exercise' when she was seven months pregnant with twins. And even though she did believe that John and Cynthia were both very sleazy individuals indeed, just by their actions, it went without saying that someone one was being jilted for would seem like the devil incarnate.

So, out of boredom, and curiosity, and perhaps a little flash of insanity, she decided to contact these people. And, thanks to the wonders of Internet search engines, she found addresses for all three of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: From this point on, this story is not structured in a linear fashion. Well, sort of, this is not exactly a part of the plot of the story proper, but this is a little episode in the characters' lives that is pretty important, that happens in between later events.**

* * *

><p>It was one day, in late spring, when Elizabeth made a phone call to McDonagh Electric, and had left a message with a secretary there, telling her that she was an old friend of Blane's, who had to get in contact with him immediately. She left their telephone number for him to call back, and was surprised when the phone rang an hour later.<p>

"Hello?" Elizabeth said.

"Yes. Uh…is this Ms. Elizabeth Grey?" said a male voice on the other end, who had a kind of halting quality to it, she noted. "This is Blane McDonagh."

"Yes." Said Elizabeth.

"Uh…you left a message for my secretary, saying that you were an old friend of mine?"  
>"Yes." Said Elizabeth. "I…did."<br>"Well…" said Blane. "I'm sorry…I…I can't place your name. Where exactly did we meet?"  
>"Well…" said Elizabeth. "I'm sort of a…friend…<em>of<em> a friend of yours."  
>"Oh." Said Blane. He laughed. "Well-<p>

"You remember….in high school…Stefan? Stefan Grey?" Elizabeth asked.

"Stefan…oh." Blane trailed off. "Steff."  
>"Yes." Elizabeth said. "You see…I'm his wife."<p>

"Oh." Said Blane. "Uh…"  
>"Steff," she said, using the hated nickname only because she thought that it would jog Blane's memory. "talks about you all the time."<br>"Oh?" said Blane. "He does?"  
>"A lot, yes. But I was curious."<br>"About me?"  
>"About Steff. And you. About your friendship." Said Elizabeth. "Does that…bother you?"<br>"Bother me?" said Blane. "Well…it wasn't a call I was expecting to get today, but what the heck." He laughed.

"I'm glad, Blane." Elizabeth said, a laughing sound to her voice.

"I'm…glad you're glad." Blane said amusedly, though with a seemingly ubiquitous tone of nervousness in his voice. "What did you want to know?"  
>"Well…why haven't you spoken to him for nearly thirty years?"<br>Blane laughed. "Uh…well…I guess it was because Steff caused me almost nothing but trouble in the odd…decade of our friendship." He laughed again.

"What kind of trouble did he cause, you Blane?" Elizabeth said conspirationally.

"Well…" said Blane. "Trouble like…setting off fireworks in the neighbor's yard when we were in fifth grade, and getting me to take the rap for it. Trouble like stealing raspberry doughnuts from the neighborhood bakery. Trouble like forcing me to smoke cigarettes, and cigars, too…when I didn't want to. At ten years of age. Trouble like-

"What made you stay friends with him all those years, if he caused you all this trouble, then, Blane?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, I guess…he was always…a leader. In our class. He had some degree of…pull. That I didn't manage to have all those years ago, with people." He cleared his throat. "That's another thing." He said. "Steff was always calling me a wimp, too. Always berating me about the way I looked, acted, dressed…you name it."  
>"I see." Elizabeth said. "But Blane…when you first knew Steff in kindergarten…did he have all this pull? With people?"<br>"Well…" Blane trailed off. "Uh…I guess…not at first, no."  
>"Was he very shy?"<p>

Blane sighed. "Yeah…I guess he was. Sort of. He was very odd, he rarely spoke to anyone, and he was always off by himself, playing alone. And everyone was sort of…grossed out because he was always-

"Sneezing?" Elizabeth suggested.

"Yep. Yeah, I guess that's true." Blane said. "He was. And everyone was afraid they were going to catch something."  
>"Which was silly of course. Because he had allergies."<p>

"Yes. That's right. But, you know. We were five, right?"  
>"Of course." Said Elizabeth. "But what about you? Why did you befriend him?"<br>"Well, I was shy, too, you know, and…not very cool, as I noted, so…I thought we'd make a good pair."  
>"And did you?" said Elizabeth.<p>

"We did." Said Blane. "We had a lot of fun together….that is until he became a little Hitler spawn."

"What about girls?" Elizabeth said. "Did he get with a lot of them? You can tell me, Steff already tells me about all the women he slept with."  
>"Uh…" Blane laughed nervously. "Yeah. Yeah, Steff was a man-whore."<br>Elizabeth laughed appreciatively. "Yes."

"What does he do now, out of curiosity?"

"Oh…he's a lawyer." Elizabeth said.

"Right. I remember. His stepfather was a lawyer."  
>"Your family owns McDonagh Electric?" said Elizabeth.<p>

"Yes. That's…that's right." Said Blane.

"Hmmm." Elizabeth said. "Too bad for Steff that you didn't own a lozenge company, right?"  
>Blane started laughing, and she did as well.<p>

"Uh…" said Blane. "I'm sorry…I'm terrible with…what do you mean?"

Elizabeth laughed. "He could…use one is all." She said. "You know…the way Steff sounds like he has throat cancer."

Blane started to laugh, a lot less uncertainly. "Oh…I see. I do know." He said. "Yeah, he has that low….he sounds like the devil."  
>Elizabeth laughed, feeling a pang of disloyalty, mixed with a strange excitement. "Yes." She said. "And it's only been exacerbated now, by…well…"<p>

"By what?"

"Well," Elizabeth said, before she could stop herself. "Steff is…really fat now."

"Really." Said Blane. "Hmmm. Didn't picture that."

"Yes. You'd be shocked." Elizabeth said.

"Huh." Blane said. "Does he…um…everything all right at home, there?"He laughed nervously.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, but said sweetly. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know." Said Blane. "Just a…just a thought."  
>Elizabeth sniffed. "I just thought you should know."<p>

"That he's really fat now?" Blane said. "Well, thanks. Thanks for telling me. I thought I might…die if I didn't know."  
>"No, I thought you should know…that Steff feels really hurt about….your estrangement. He valued your friendship, and….he's a different person now. He's made a lot of changes, and…he's a good man." Elizabeth said. "And everything is all right at home. Steff is a wonderful husband. Of course. I only said he was fat because…I like the danger that he might find out. I'm…bored, and crave excitement, you see."<br>"So he's not really fat, then?" Blane said.

"Oh, no. He's fat." Said Elizabeth. "Well, more like…chubby, than out and out fat."

Blane began to laugh. "Oh, my goodness. Okay. Hard to know what to say to that." He sighed. "But…to the other, I say…well, I'm not too sure that Steff really valued our friendship that much, Elizabeth."  
>"I am." Said Elizabeth. "Even back then, with all his flaws…he had sense enough to realize that you were the only true friend he had, Blane."<br>"I don't know, Elizabeth." Said Blane. "All that was a long time ago, you know."  
>"Is there…some other reason you're angry at Steff, Blane?" Elizabeth asked.<p>

"What do you mean?" Blane said.

"Well…was there…was there a girl?"

"Yeah." Blane said. "Yeah, there was a girl."  
>"A redhead?" Elizabeth said.<p>

"She was. Andie." Said Blane. "I guess…he must have told you that."  
>"He did." Elizabeth said. "But Blane. He told me that Andie liked <em>you<em>, and didn't like him at all."  
>"Right." Said Blane.<p>

"So…what do you have to be so angry about?" Elizabeth asked. "It wasn't you who was rejected, was it?"  
>"No." said Blane. He sighed. "He acted like a real ass, though, always putting her down. She's a great girl. Always was. Still is, I'm sure."<p>

"You haven't…seen her in awhile?" Elizabeth bit her lip.

"I saw her at our twentieth high school reunion a long time back. She and her husband. Didn't see Steff there, incidentally."  
>"Well, I can't imagine he would be." Elizabeth said. "For a number of reasons."<p>

" Yes. Well…he really showed his true colors back then. Trying to tell me she was trash, and that I shouldn't date outside my income class, stuff like that."  
>"He liked her, Blane." Said Elizabeth. "Surely you must know that."<br>"Yeah, I know." Said Blane.

"So if he wanted to date her first, you should have known that he didn't really believe all that stuff he was saying about poor people and whatnot."

"I guess." Said Blane. "That didn't make it any easier, then, though."  
>"Well, why didn't you stand up to him? In a reasonable way? Tell him to mind his own business."<br>"I don't know." Blane said. "I was afraid of what he would have done."  
>"What would he have done?"<br>"He'd probably have asked me who the fuck I thought I was talking to."

"And…?" Elizabeth said. "That's it?"

"I don't know."  
>"That's what you were so afraid of?"<br>"Well, everyone around the school knew, Elizabeth, that there were few people you'd meet that were as unpleasant as Steff."  
>"But you knew he had problems. You knew his parents…weren't the best people."<p>

"Well, we all have a sad story, I guess." Said Blane. He sighed.

"You just decided not to speak to him anymore? For thirty years?"  
>"After high school." Said Blane. "I decided it was best we go our separate ways. We didn't really have anything in common anymore."<br>Elizabeth sighed. "Are you still…angry with him about…Andie?"  
>"No. No, I'm not angry with anybody I knew thirty years ago, Elizabeth." Blane said. He paused for a minute, and then said. "I guess…I hate to say it, but I realized to myself that he was…a bad seed, of sorts."<br>"Watch it." Elizabeth said, placing her hand over her round, bulging abdomen where the two babies resided. "That's very untrue."  
>"Well, Elizabeth." Said Blane. "He was hell-bent on destroying himself to make his parents angry. And he might not mean to, but he would take anyone down in his path. Me included, so...I didn't need that."<p>

"I see." Elizabeth said, sadly. It was a struggle for her not to cry, a lot of times, these days, whether it was for a legitimate reason or not, which at this moment she felt that she did.

"Blane…" she said. "Can I tell you something?"  
>"Uh…sure." Blane said.<p>

Elizabeth moistened her lip, sniffling. "When…when Steff was twenty, he…" She shook her head. "I shouldn't be…but I wanted you to know…he doesn't know I'm doing this, you know."  
>"Oh." Said Blane.<p>

"Calling you. Contacting…anyone from his past." She took a deep breath. "And he'd freak out if he did."  
>"I bet he would." Said Blane.<p>

"I mean…he'd freak out, because he's…paranoid. About talking to people outside our…household. He's very….inwardly focused, you see."

"Oh." Blane said. "I'm surprised. He was always around people when we were in high school."  
>"Yes. Well." Elizabeth said. "Anyway, as unwise as it may seem…I thought you should know…just for your information."<br>"Okay." Blane said. "I'm listening."  
>"I…it's true that when Steff was younger, he did a lot of things that were very…immoral. And self-destructive. And that…took its toll on him…I guess. And he…he had had a lot of things happen. His mother died, and he'd had a girlfriend that had had an abortion, without telling him, and…anyway. He was depressed a lot, in college. I mean, clinically." She sniffed. "He told me that when he was twenty, he tried to…cut his wrists. And…I guess, after that…it was a wakeup call."<p>

"Oh." Said Blane. "Well…"  
>"He didn't tell me to tell you this, you know." Elizabeth said.<p>

"No, I know." Said Blane quietly.

"You ever read Stephen King, Blane?"  
>"I'm sure I did at least once. Why?"<br>"Well, in _The Stand_, there's this observation made by this character called Larry Underwood, where he says he's seen people who are in a bad way, in the case of the person in the book, drugs, but it could be applied to other situations, 'come out the other side'." Said Elizabeth." And…I think…that Stefan had to…come out the other side. Back then. Before he could turn his life around, and make the choices he made, that made him into the man he is today. Which is a very good man, Blane."

"I'm sure." Said Blane. "I'm…I'm glad, that he's doing well, I mean, he's a lawyer, and…well…he's got a wife. You have any kids?"  
>"We will." Said Elizabeth. "In July."<br>"Oh." Said Blane. "Oh, so you're pregnant."  
>"I am." Said Elizabeth.<p>

"Well, congratulations, I guess." Said Blane.

"Thanks." Elizabeth said. "You have any kids?"  
>"I do." Said Blane. "Two daughters."<br>"That's very nice."Elizabeth said.

"It is." Said Blane. "This your first baby?"  
>"Yes." Said Elizabeth.<p>

"Well, like I said, I'm glad he's found someone to have a family with." Blane said. "Kind of a strange someone, but…"  
>"You think I'm strange?" Elizabeth said.<p>

"In the nicest way." Blane said.

"I see." Elizabeth said. "Because I called and talked to you?"  
>"Sort of. And because of some of the stuff you said. I mean, not the last part…the uh…" He cleared his throat. "<p>

"Because I said he was fat? Steff?"  
>"Things like that. Yes." Blane said.<p>

"Well, he is."

"Well, come to think of it, he was always eating a lot of the time, when I was around him, so I guess it caught up with him."  
>"Or saying some witticism about food?" Elizabeth asked.<p>

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Blane said.

"Yes." Elizabeth said. "And I'm a baker, so…"  
>"Oh." Blane said. He tsked. "It's your fault."<br>"Maybe it is." Elizabeth said.

Blane laughed. "Well." He said. "This has been quite an interesting conversation, Elizabeth."

"For me, too." Elizabeth said.

"Good luck, with…everything." Blane said. "The baby."  
>"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "Same. Good luck with your life, too. And…think about giving your old friend a call, will you?"<p>

"Maybe so." Blane said. "Maybe I will, Elizabeth."

It was late the following October, and the twins were three months old, when the phone rang. Elizabeth picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Hello there." A male voice, with a semi-laughing undertone said. "It's Blane. Remember me?"

"Of course." Elizabeth said.

"Of course." Said Blane. "Well, um…I was just checking. Calling back to see how things were. With you, and, uh…Steff."  
>"Good. They're good." Elizabeth said.<p>

"Good. Have that baby?" Blane said.

"Yes." Elizabeth said. "Two, in fact. Twins."  
>"Oh, twins. Wow." Blane said. "Bet you're busy."<br>"I am. We are." Elizabeth said. "Did you think what I said over? About calling your friend?"  
>"I did, actually." Blane said.<p>

"And…?"  
>"And here's what I'd like to do. I'd like us all to have dinner some night, so we can catch up. The two of you, and myself and my wife. What do you say?"<br>"I say…I'll have to talk that over with Steff, Blane." Elizabeth said. "He might…be reticent to, at first."

"Of course." Blane said. "Well, talk it over with him, then, and see what he says."

"So, he just called." Stefan said. "Out of the blue?"  
>"Well, not out of the blue." Elizabeth said. "He said next year is your…thirtieth reunion, and he got to thinking about how good it would be to see you again. He'd like to catch up."<br>"Would he?" said Stefan. "Well, I don't want to catch up with him."

"It'd be good for you, Stefan." Elizabeth said. "To see your old friend again."  
>"Why?" said Stefan.<p>

"So you two can…talk over old times, and…get to see what each other is like now."  
>"Old times when he said I was shit?"<br>"Come on." Said Elizabeth. "That was one incident. You had a lot of other good times together besides that." She stroked his arm.

Stefan sighed. "Why are you Little Miss…Cheerleader, all of a sudden, Elizabeth?" he said.

"What?" Elizabeth said.

"I mean…what is it with the phony, overly cheerful, sales pitch-like tone you've got in your voice, all of a sudden? I don't like it."  
>"What are you talking about, Stefan?" Elizabeth said. "You're sounding a little…crazy. Need some meds?"<br>"It just sounds like the tone of liar, to me." Stefan said. Elizabeth shook her head. "You could hardly be unaware of the fact that I wouldn't find such a situation pleasant at all. You know very well that Blane and I haven't spoken for almost thirty years. Why are you pretending as though none of that matters?"  
>"I'm not." Said Elizabeth.<p>

"Sometimes, you sound like someone I don't even know, Elizabeth." Said Stefan.

"What do you mean?" said Elizabeth.

"I mean that you sound like you're trying to put up a front, Lizzie." Said Stefan. "I wish that you would just be straightforward with me. Why are you always trying to goad me into doing things I don't want to do, and pretend that it's good for me, and that _I _want to do it."  
>"Is that what you think of me?" Elizabeth said. "That I <em>pretend <em>that I think it's good for you?"

"I think things like this are really what _you_ want, is all, Lizzie."

"Well, it's not." Elizabeth said. "I want to help you. I want to try to reunite you with your old friend, is all." She sniffed. "I'm doing this for you, and you accuse me of…of pretending that I want to help you."  
>Stefan sighed. "Lizzie…I appreciate your wanting to help, I really do." He shook his head. "Did you…talk with him? Blane?"<br>"Yes." Elizabeth said. "I did, as a matter of fact."

"And did he ask who you were? To me?"

"He did." Said Elizabeth. "I told him I was your wife. Who couldn't remember all that stuff that happened with you…because…well, I was one year old."

"Did you now?" said Stefan. "Of course you did."  
>Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head. "No, not really." She sighed. "We don't have to. I'll tell him no. He asked me to call back, when I spoke to you."<br>"What else did you talk about, with him?" said Stefan.

"I told him…we had twin girls." Said Elizabeth. "And that you were a lawyer now. Stuff like that."  
>"Not getting too chummy, were you?" Stefan said. "With him?"<br>"Of course not." Elizabeth said. "Why, are you afraid I'll…like him better, like-

"Don't be stupid, Elizabeth." Stefan said irritably. "I just know how…overly curious you can be about things such as this."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Must you talk about me like I'm some…pet, or a baby, or mildly retarded?"

"I was doing no such thing, Lizzie." He shook his head. "It might be…interesting, I suppose."  
>"You mean…you want to do it?" said Elizabeth. "You want to meet up with him again?"<br>"I guess." Said Stefan. He shook his head. "I just can't figure out for the life of me, what would make him call after all these years."

Elizabeth began to feel that nervous, prickly feeling, that she always felt, when she was trying to hide something from Stefan, which, wasn't often, but when she did, the feeling of dread inside was almost tangible. She didn't want Stefan to know that it was she who had contacted Blane, there would almost certainly be hell to pay if he did, and besides, she truly wanted him to believe that it had been Blane's idea, that Blane had truly missed him after all these years, because she did want the two to become good friends again.

But Stefan, to her relief, was not giving her any grey wolf-like looks, as he surely would have been doing, if he suspected her of even withholding an iota of information from him. Instead, he looked lost in thought, and a little sad. She cleared her throat.

"I guess…" she said. "Maybe he's always…hoped you'd still be friends after all these years. Someday."  
>"Maybe." Stefan said.<p>

"You should tell him…how everybody calls you the grey wolf now." Elizabeth said. "What a kick-ass attorney you are now. Make sure he knows…you're not to be reckoned with." She bit her lip, unsettling thoughts that she'd had about the dubious nobility of Blane's reasons for returning her call resurfacing, which she had been pushing to the back of her mind all day.

"I guess." Said Stefan.

"Yes." Elizabeth said. She put her hand on his. "You're so…fearsome, that sometimes, even I'm afraid."  
>"Really." Stefan said. He smiled wryly at her. "Why is it I can't get you to behave the way I want you to, then?"<br>"I know it seems that way." Elizabeth said. She bit her lip. "But…I'm really terrified. I can only hope that you'll be quelled by the fact that…I'm everything a big, bad wolf could want." She put her hand on his.

"Indeed you are." Stefan said. He smoothed back her hair. "And what…big, lovely blue eyes you have, Lizzie."

Elizabeth smiled, but a mischievous light danced in her blue eyes. "Why, Grandmother." Elizabeth said. "What especially…bad emphysema you seem to be having today."

"Best watch yourself." Said Stefan. "I tear the throats out of rabbits. I might tear the throats out of chipmunks, too, if the mood strikes."

"Well." Said Elizabeth to Blane, over the phone the next day. "He's agreed for us all to have dinner. I'm happy to say."  
>"Good." Said Blane.<p>

"Yes." Said Elizabeth. She bit her lip. "I…certainly…hope you won't tell him. How I said he's fat, before."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that." Blane said, but she picked up on a faint trace of laughter in his voice.

"I'm glad." Said Elizabeth. "Because…if you did, I'd…I'd have to tell him how you said he was a man-whore."  
>"I said that?" Blane said. He laughed. "I guess I did. But what about how <em>you<em> said he sounds like he's got throat cancer?"

"Hmmm." Elizabeth said. "Looks like I've got more to be afraid of than you do."  
>"Doesn't it, though?" said Blane. "Throat cancer. That's pretty good, though. I won't soon forget that."<br>"I'm glad it…amused you, Blane." Elizabeth said. She bit her lip.

"Don't worry." Said Blane. "Secret's safe with me."  
>"I'm glad." Said Elizabeth. "Wouldn't want to do anything…to damage your reunion with your old friend, now would you?"<br>"No." said Blane. "No, I wouldn't."  
>"In all seriousness…" said Elizabeth. "Steff can't know that it was me who first contacted you."<br>"Why not?" said Blane.

"Because…I'd like him to think that you really felt pangs of auld lang syne."  
>"Old anxiety?" Blane said.<p>

"No, I said-

"I know." Blane said. "Mine is more accurate, though."

"Still afraid of Steff, Blane?" said Elizabeth. "After all these years?"  
>"No, I'm not afraid of Steff." Blane said. "That's a certainty."<br>"That would be pretty silly." Said Elizabeth. "Wouldn't it?"  
>"Sure would." Said Blane. "But in all seriousness, Elizabeth…it was all my idea. Okay?"<br>"Yes, it was." Said Elizabeth. "And you do. Want to talk with Steff again. Right?"  
>"I do." Said Blane. A moment's silence passed.<p>

"You…care about Steff a lot." Said Blane. "I can tell."  
>"Yes." Said Elizabeth. "Very much."<br>"You know…" Blane said. "You…have a very lovely voice. I thought so when you called before."

"Oh." Said Elizabeth. A feeling of unease stirred inside her. "Thanks, I guess."  
>"The way you sound reminds me a little of that actress, Drew Barrymore. You know the one?"<br>"Yes." Elizabeth said. "Of course. And she was…in _Firestarter_ and _Cat's Eye_. Two Stephen King adaptations, you know."  
>"Oh, really?" said Blane. "I didn't know that. That's interesting."<br>"Yes. As a child." Said Elizabeth. She cleared her throat. "Steff always says I…have a very girlish sounding voice."

"I'm sure he does." Said Blane.

"He always says…I look like a chipmunk, too." Said Elizabeth. "Because I have round cheeks."  
>"Sounds like him." Blane said. "He always said…I reminded him of an adult embryo, featurewise. I remember that."<p>

Elizabeth laughed.

"But of course, that was in…tenth grade. I'm sure I…won't be hearing that sort of thing when we have dinner. Right?"  
>"Hopefully not." Said Elizabeth. "Helen, this paralegal who works for him, said to me that she thinks he's a lovely person. Those were her words. And she was right. He is."<p>

"Uh…glad to know." Said Blane. "So…Saturday then?"

"Yes." Said Elizabeth. "Saturday."  
>"And I hope," Elizabeth said, after they settled on a time and place to meet for dinner. "that you'll enjoy seeing your old friend again. Didn't you ever…hope to meet him again, someday?"<br>"I always thought that I might." Said Blane. "Of course I can't say that without adding…I always have been somewhat of a pessimist."  
>"Have you?" said Elizabeth.<p>

"Just a little joke, Elizabeth."

"Very little." Said Elizabeth.

"I don't know. I think you thought it was pretty funny." Said Blane. "I'm sure you know better than anybody…that Steff can be kind of a pain."  
>"Well…" said Elizabeth. "I believe that a more joyful life can be achieved…when you learn to embrace every spectrum of life. Including pain."<p>

"Of course." Said Blane. "Good…philosophy. I'll remember it, when I'm having to deal with Steff, this week. Which was my idea. Of course. But you and I know…you're the puppeteer, orchestrating this whole thing, don't we? You're the one pulling the strings, of us reuniting."  
>"Oh, Blane." Said Elizabeth. "Sweet little Lizzie wouldn't try to put strings on Steff, don't you know that?"<br>"No, I…don't suppose she would." Said Blane. "I don't suppose she would."

The next Saturday, Elizabeth and Stefan left the twins with a sitter, and headed for the restaurant where they were meeting Blane and his wife. Stefan looked quite tense, and was still very apprehensive about the whole thing.

"I'd like us to have a code." Stefan said, on their way in the car. "In case we need to leave. If I feel that we need to leave."  
>Elizabeth sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Stefan, is that really nec-<p>

"Yes!" Stefan snapped, a harsh, tense tone in his voice that always made her feel a kind of queasy trepidation, though not for herself, but rather for him, since he sounded frighteningly close to a nervous breakdown at these times, to her.

"It's necessary." He said more calmly. "If I feel like…things are going sour. And he…might pose a threat. Of any kind. To us. That they might."  
>"Okay." Said Elizabeth.<p>

"We'll need to have a code. A code word." Said Stefan. "What should it be?"

"I don't know, Stefan." Said Elizabeth. "What…do you think it should be?"

"What about…orchid?" said Stefan. "Like the one I have in my office. If I say the word 'orchid' to you, at any time during dinner, you'll excuse yourself to the restroom. And…after returning, you'll say to…Blane, and his wife, that the babysitter called to say that she can't get one of the babies to stop crying, and needs us to come home, immediately. After which we'll say our goodbyes, and then leave."

Elizabeth sighed. "Why can't I just…go to the restroom, and then say that, if-

"Because it would be my call to make, Elizabeth." Stefan said, looking at her as though she'd just said something staggeringly illogical and absurd.

"Oh. I see." Said Elizabeth. "So we need a code word. For…that."  
>"Of course we do." Said Stefan.<p>

"Think we'll need it?" Elizabeth said.

"I hope not, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "But it never hurts to be prepared, does it?"  
>"I guess it doesn't." she said. She glanced at him. "You nervous?"<p>

"I am." Said Stefan. "Very."  
>"Why?" said Elizabeth.<p>

"Because…" Stefan said. "This is…this is a very unusual situation. For me. And also, this is a person who I…have very mixed feelings towards, Elizabeth."  
>Elizabeth sighed. She patted his arm. "Don't be nervous, Stefan."<p>

"Elizabeth, I'd rather you didn't…touch me, in public." Stefan said.

Elizabeth laughed incredulously, her tongue in the side of her mouth, and gazed in the direction of her window, at a car that was parked next to them in the restaurant parking lot of the restaurant at which they were meeting Blane. "Really." She said.

"Elizabeth." Stefan said. "This is serious." He put his hands against the steering wheel, gripping it tightly. Almost in a death grip, in fact. Elizabeth swallowed, licking her lips nervously, looking at how white his knuckles were at that moment.

"Stefan, don't you think you better…take it easy?" she said apprehensively, hesitating before saying her next sentence. "I mean, don't you think a man of your…substance-

"Substance?" Stefan said. He looked at her like she was crazy.

"I mean…" Elizabeth said. "Aren't you worried a man of your age, and we-

"Oh." Stefan said. "Oh, I see. More fat jokes, of course. Nice, huh? Very adult."

"What joke?" Elizabeth said. "Stefan, I'm not joking. I'm worried that you might have a stroke right now. Who would help me take care of Amy and Fran?"

"Oh, please, Elizabeth." Stefan said. He shook his head.

"Well." Elizabeth said. "I know you said that I can't touch you, but I'm really worried about how on edge you seem, Stefan."  
>"Don't worry, Lizzie." Said Stefan. He still looked like he was in a fog, and about to lose his mind, simultaneously. Elizabeth gazed at him worriedly, shaking her head.<p>

"Here," she said, reaching into her purse. "Have a mint." She held out a tin in his direction, shaking it towards him.  
>"Why?" Stefan said accusatorily. "You're saying I have bad breath?"<br>"Oh, my word." Elizabeth said in disbelief, covering her eyes up with a hand for a moment to recover herself. She let out a breath. "No." she said in response. "I'm not. I just thought a mint might calm you down. That's all."

Stefan looked at her, somewhat remorsefully. He wordlessly opened the lid of the tin, unfortunately, a second later, his hand slipped, knocking the tin from her hand, spilling mints all over the floor of the car. Stefan's shoulders sagged, for a moment. He shook his head, and silently began picking the spilled mints off the floor.

"Stefan." Elizabeth said worriedly. "Stefan!"  
>"What?" Stefan said irritably.<p>

"Stefan, listen to me. You're a grey wolf." Stefan sighed, shaking his head, putting the spilled mints back in the tin. "Stefan, would you forget about those stupid mints for just one second."  
>"You want them ground into the carpet? Because I don't." Stefan said.<p>

"That's not what matters right now." Elizabeth said. She put her hands on his shoulders. "I hate to defy orders, but…"  
>Stefan looked at her, a faint hint of a doleful smile on his face. "Uh huh."<br>"Stefan." Elizabeth said. "For goodness sakes. You're a grown man. Not only a grown man, but…well, you know. A predatory animal." She shook her head. "You're going to let yourself be unbent by a…mere…embryo?"  
>Stefan let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. "Oh, it's not him, Elizabeth, it's…" He trailed off. "Well, maybe it is. After all, this is a person…I haven't seen for a long time, who my last dealings with were…very hostile, and unpleasant. You can see why I might be a little insecure about things."<p>

"Well, stop being insecure." Elizabeth said. "You're a very successful, intelligent…respectable, charming guy. You have nothing to worry about."  
>"Maybe not." Stefan said. He looked at the floor sadly for a moment, then looked suddenly at her. "I have one thing he doesn't, don't I? I have you."<br>"Yes." Said Elizabeth. "You have me. You really do."

"Of course," Stefan said tersely. "If you don't want me to be insecure about seeing Blane, maybe it would help if you didn't talk about 'a man of your substance'. Think it might?" He glanced at her abruptly, shaking his head, a sardonic, and also incredulous, sort of what she would term a leer on his face.

"Stefan, I was genuinely worrying you might have a heart attack or a stroke or something. I worry about you, being overweight like you are."  
>"Please, Elizabeth." Stefan said. He made a scoffing noise, then glance over at her. "There was <em>amusement<em> in your voice. You greatly enjoyed saying it."  
>"Oh, there was not." Elizabeth said.<p>

"There was."  
>"Maybe that was something else." Elizabeth said. "After all, you know how turned on I get by chubby-<p>

"All right, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "Could you at least put a lid on that sort of thing, until we get this over with, please?"

"All right." She shrugged. "Besides, you haven't seen what Blane looks like now, himself. He could be chubby, for all you know."

Blane was not, as she saw, when he approached them in the front of the restaurant, chubby. Just the opposite, in fact, he was quite slender. A bit too, in fact, in her opinion.

"Well." Blane said when he saw them, smiling cordially. "Steff."

"Blane." Stefan replied stiffly.

"It's great to see you." Said Blane. He smiled, beckoning in the direction of the woman beside him, a tall, fortyish blonde, with a slight pug nose, though otherwise very attractive, and, like him, well-dressed. "This is my wife, Patty."  
>Patty extended her hand towards Stefan. "Hello." She said. "Blane has told me so much about you. He's really looked forward to this. Seeing you again."<p>

"Oh." Stefan said. "Well-" He interrupted himself by sneezing loudly.

"Oh, my goodness." Said Patty. She smiled worriedly. "Well-"  
>"Allergies?" Blane said to Stefan, smiling.<p>

"Yes, yes." Stefan replied resignedly. He shook his head.

"Of course." Blane said. "I remember. See?"

"Glad of it." Stefan said, cutting his eyes to Blane grimly. He cleared his throat, remembering himself, and smiled apologetically at Patty.

"But, I'm very sorry about that, Patty, it isn't exactly a terrific way to be greeted by anyone, is it?" He smiled a brisk, though by no means cold, smile at her.

"Don't be." Patty said smiling. "No offense taken."  
>"Of course," Stefan said. "This is my wife, Elizabeth, Patty, and…Blane." He said, raising an eyebrow in ever so slight disdain at the last word.<p>

Patty smiled, and said hello, as did Blane, extending his hand in greeting, and his face offered no trace of the slightly snarky nature of their phone conversations, and less so any editorializations either of them had made regarding their mutual acquaintance. Instead, he smiled, a polite, unassuming smile at her, though she thought she saw a slight gleam of knowing avidity in his eye, upon closer inspection.

"Elizabeth. Of course." Blane said. "We spoke on the phone, I recall. Blane McDonagh."

"Nice to meet you, Blane." Elizabeth replied, also betraying no sign of their prior exchanges, a calm, courteous smile decorating her face.

"So you're a lawyer." Blane said, when they were seated at a table. "Elizabeth tells me you and her father are partners?"  
>"Yes." Stefan said. "That's right." He glanced morosely down at his plate.<p>

Elizabeth looked at him, pursing her lips, and then looked back at Blane and Patty. "That's how we met, you see." She said. "My dad wanted me to get together with Stefan. He thinks he's a swell guy, but I wasn't so sure. At first." She looked at Stefan, who looked perpetually sour, and also as though he was about to have a tooth extracted. She smiled, a tight-lipped smile, and shrugged, looking at Blane, who smiled, still politely, but she could see a few traces of that amused sound she'd heard on the phone, starting to seep through on his face. His eyes flickered to his glass.

"But," Elizabeth continued. "I came around. And everything's lovely. And has been, for the past three years."  
>"Really?" Blane said, smiling at her, but his eyes flicked to Stefan. "Dads…think you're a great guy, Steff?" He cleared his throat. "Don't…remember that happening often, way back when."<p>

"Well, they all loved you, though, didn't they, Blane?" Stefan said flatly. "You're a guy they can all take home to their fathers." He glanced in the direction of the wall.

"Oh, I don't know about that, right, Patty?" Blane said, looking at his wife. Patty laughed uncertainly, casting a puzzled glance over at Stefan briefly.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Yes. You guys ever read Stephen King?"

"Oh, dear, he we go." Stefan said, shaking his head, and saying something in a lower tone of voice that she couldn't quite make out.

"What was that?" Elizabeth said, turning to him.

"Uh..I believe he said, 'Indoctrinate them, why don't you.'" Said Blane. "Elizabeth."  
>"Oh." Said Elizabeth, looking at Stefan, who wouldn't meet her eyes. "Oh. I see. That's very nice." She sniffed. "Well. I'm glad you translated it for me, Blane."<p>

"Yes." Blane said.

"Lord knows, sometimes we've all got to…crank our old hearing aids up to eleven, whenever Stefan speaks in his lower register. It can be an arduous difficulty, at first, though." She looked at him, smiling sweetly. He did not return her smile. Blane, she noticed, had a hand pressed to his temple, and was barely suppressing a smile. He straightened up quickly however.

"Yes." Blane said. "Well…glad to help." He cleared his throat, glancing at Patty again, who continued to look uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I was about to say, that my dad and everyone around their law practice called Stefan 'Mr. Grey', which, I happened to know, was the name of the alien villain in the book _Dreamcatcher_."

"Oh, I've seen that movie." Blane said. "Morgan Freeman, right?"  
>"Yes." Elizabeth said. "It's a good movie. Good book, too. One of my favorites. But I was apprehensive of Stefan, because of this."<br>"I see." Said Blane. "Sounds about on target to me."

"Well, he is weird and a little scary…but I don't _think_ he wants to put alien worms in the water. I don't _think_."

"You never can tell." Said Blane.

"Indeed." Elizabeth said. "No, of course, it's very true, like dad, and Helen, and Clarence, those are people that work for them, not to mention all the clients, say, he's a good lawyer, and a good man." She looked down at the table, biting her lip.

"No, no, I was just kidding, Steff, of course Elizabeth is right. You're a good man, and I'm sure you're a very good law-

"Am I?" Stefan interrupted. "I thought I was shit."

"What?" Blane said.

"Isn't that one of the last things you said to me, before you decided not to speak to me again? At our senior prom, as I recall it."  
>"Steff, I don't know." Blane said tiredly. "I don't even remember."<p>

"Well, I do." Said Stefan. "I remember it quite well. I remember the name of the baker that I stole raspberry bismarcks from, in the sixth grade, and you don't think I'd remember a thing like what you said?"

"Oh, well, since you brought up the subject Steff, now I do remember his name. Mr. Zapota." He took a sip of water. "Know what else, I remember, is the inside of my room, for an entire month, after he told my mother what we did. Because _you _talked me into being your accomplice, friend. That I do remember."  
>"So." Said Stefan. "Why didn't you ever have the guts to stand up to me, then Blane? <em>Or<em> your mother, for that matter?"  
>"Because you wouldn't let me. You practically told me what toothpaste to use. You were hell to deal with, Steff, and as for my mother, she is truly irrelevant to this conversation. And-<p>

"You're right. It is irrelevant." Stefan said. "Let's get back on the subject of how you behaved about that, girl, what was her name?"  
>"Oh, you know, <em>very<em> well, what her name is, Steff." Said Blane, shaking his head.

"You're right." Stefan said. "I certainly do. And I can plainly see exactly how smashing that one worked out for you, didn't it, Blane? I can see right, in front of my face, that she's your true soul mate, the only woman you could ever be with in your life. No offense, Patty."  
>"Well, none taken, but-"<p>

"Well, that's hardly the point, now, is it Steff?" Blane interrupted his wife. "The point is that she was a decent girl, and you behaved like a perfect shitheel…no offense meant, Elizabeth."

"Uh-"

"Oh, there's no need to treat Elizabeth like a delicate sugar plum, Blane, I'm sure she's heard the word 'shitheel', before, and-"  
>"From you?" said Blane, as Patty adjusted her earring, and Elizabeth rested one side of her head on her hand, and stared into space.<br>"Maybe." Said Stefan. "But truly, I don't care about Andie, or anyone else you dated, for that matter. What matters to me, is the fact that you decided not to speak to me for thirty years." He shook his head.

"Steff," Blane said. "You didn't exactly make life easy for me, back in those days, you know." He shook his head. "In fact, Andie wasn't the only one that you tried to tell me not to date, not to hang out with, not to this, not to that. And your favorite thing to do was to get me in trouble with my parents. Oh, oh, and then-" Blane said, over some none-too-subtle sighs of frustration from Patty. "And then, you would always be trying to use my fear of the same parents you railed against for keeping me under lock and key, against me. Threatening me with what they would think, and how I better step lively, lest my parents find out something _I _wanted to do, that _you_ didn't want me to do. Including date Andie."  
>"Well-"<br>"Let's face it, you were a real bully, Steff." Said Blane. "You've got a real bullying personality there. Guess that's why you became an attorney, huh?"  
>"Well, why did you have such a fear of your parents, Blane?" said Stefan. "Answer me that. Why did you care so much what they thought? Do you still?"<br>"That's an entirely inappropriate question, Steff, and anyway, it was none of your business then, and it certainly isn't now."  
>"I guess the answer is yes, then." Said Stefan.<p>

"That mouth of yours has gotten you into a world of trouble, and it seems you haven't done much to clamp it down, Steff." Blane shook his head in irritation.

"And why did you care so much about what I and our friends thought of you dating Andie, anyway?" Stefan said. "I seem to recall you breaking up with her, before prom, all on your own? I didn't force you to do that."  
>"Well, you might as well have, Steff."<br>"Yeah, yeah, sure." Said Steff. "Because you have…had no will of your own. You were spineless, Blane." He shook his head. "I seem to remember Andie whaled the tar out of you in the hall for breaking up with her. Remember that?"

Patty cleared her throat. "You know what, _boys_." She said pointedly. "I think we really need to change the subject now. Why don't we talk about something a little more pleasant?" She looked from one to the other.

"Indeed." Elizabeth said. "Change the subject. Please."

"Well, since we were asked so nicely, Blane, what do you say we just let it go?" Stefan said.

"You're the boss, Steff." Said Blane. "As always."

"Thank you." Stefan said dryly. There was an awkward silence for a moment. "How _are_ Bill and Joyce doing, anyway?" Stefan said.

"Oh, they're just fine, Steff." Blane said. "Dad's in his seventies now, but he still heads up the board of directors. Still active. Still plays tennis every week. Still married to Mom, of course. They just celebrated their golden anniversary last year, in fact."  
>"Good. That's good." Stefan said quietly. He paused for a moment, before adding. "And you, you're the…vice president? Of McDonagh Electric?"<p>

"Yes." Blane said. "That's right."  
>"Well." Said Stefan. "I'm…I'm glad, Blane. I'm glad to hear that."<p>

"Thank you." Blane said. "I'm glad, too..it's…I'm lucky. To have the life I do, with…with Patty, and the girls, and my job. It's a great thing." He looked down at the table.

"Of course it is. It's a great thing. Work, and family." He placed his hand over Elizabeth's.

"Yes. Very much." Said Blane. "How's…how are your…parents, Steff?"  
>"Well, my mother died when I was in college, and my stepfather and I haven't spoken since. He disowned me, in fact." He sighed, and shook his head. "I saw this Far Side cartoon once, with the caption 'Classic Conversation Stoppers'. I guess I've always got one ready, don't I?"<p>

"No, not at all…I for one don't think so, Steff." Patty volunteered, looking at Blane. "Do you?"  
>"No, no." Blane said.<p>

"Oh, come on now Blane. In fact, I think that that used to be my nickname. Conversation Stopper Steff, they called me."  
>"Yeah…yeah, that and a few other things." Said Blane.<p>

"Indeed." Said Stefan, but he looked at Blane reprovingly. "But I guess…a _lot _of people in my life stopped speaking to me. Didn't they?" Patty cleared her throat. "But of course, I guess we're not allowed to talk about that."  
>"Probably best we don't, Steff." Blane said. He looked at Steff, a frowning little sadly, and looked as though he were going to say something else, but didn't.<p>

"So." Said Steff, after the waitress brought the meal. "I thought you left Chicago."  
>"Well, I did, but funny thing, they allowed me to come back, Steff." He shook his head. "No, I lived in Washington, D.C., for awhile, that's where I went to school. Then I worked in various in jobs, in sales for awhile, before I went to work for my dad."<br>"Did you enjoy doing that?" Stefan asked. "Being a salesman?"  
>"I did." Said Blane. "I try to…have a positive outlook about everything I do. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, right?"<p>

"Of course." Said Stefan. "And Patty..? How did you two meet?"  
>"We met in college, through a mutual friend of ours, what was his name? Bill? Bill…?"<br>"Hicks." Patty replied.

"Hicks. Right. Bill Hicks. Not to be confused with the comedian of the same name." said Blane.

"Oh, that comedian." Elizabeth said. "You know, he always reminded me of Stefan, a bit."

"Oh, well, I hadn't thought of that, but maybe." Said Blane.

"And of course, he had a lot of the same politics as Stefan has, very left-wing." Elizabeth said. "Very…anti-marketing, anti-corporate. Stuff like that."  
>"Oh." Said Blane. "Yeah. Well, he was really funny. Was. He's dead, isn't he?"<br>"Yeah, he died of cancer, way back when. I remember that. I was in high school, I think."  
>"Cancer, yeah. Too bad." Blane shook his head, his eyes flickered on hers for a second, and then she saw a faint amused expression on his face again.<p>

"Yeah, what kind of cancer did he die of, anyway?" said Blane. "Elizabeth?"

"Hmmm?" Elizabeth said. "What kind?"  
>"Yeah." Said Blane. He paused for a moment, and looked like he was considering. "What kind? Of cancer?"<br>"Oh…I believe it was pancreatic." Elizabeth replied. She looked at him. "Why?"

"Oh…well, he was always smoking onstage, so I thought it might be another kind. Like uh…throat, maybe." He looked at her.

"No, no, I'm pretty sure it was pancreatic, Blane." Elizabeth said. She studiously avoided looking at Stefan, in the vain hope that he might not take notice.

"Oh, really." Blane said innocently. "Huh. Could've sworn I heard it was throat cancer. Oh, well." He smiled at her. Elizabeth shook her head.

Stefan patted Elizabeth's hand. "I see someone's catty little mouth has been quite busy, Lizzie."

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Stefan likes to instill a sense of dread." She informed Blane, looking at him pointedly.

"Oh." Blane said uncomfortably. He looked at the table, then back up at her. "Oh, you mean…that would be something he's…that you guys have…"He cleared his throat. "That's…too bad I….that's…" He sucked in a breath, saying nothing else.

"He would be privy to my thoughts on that expression, that begins with 't.c,' Blane." Elizabeth shook her head. "And not 'Tony Curtis'." She looked at Stefan, who was biting his lip, shaking his head in dismay at her.

"Tony Curtis?" said Blane. "Should I ask?"

"He thinks he looks like him." Elizabeth said. "I can't tell you how many times I've had to watch _Some Like It Hot_." She shook her head. "Anyway, good going, Blane."  
>"Well." Blane said. "If I'd known that it was going to create such an…awkward moment, I never would have said it."<br>"Thought it'd go over my head, did you?" said Stefan.

"I didn't think you…you know what? Never mind. It was just a joke, Steff." He shook his head.

"Well, it's not your fault, Blane." Stefan said, pointing his head in Elizabeth's direction. "It's hers."  
>"Well, I don't know about all-"<p>

"Oh, but I do know, Blane." Said Stefan. He put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder, and squeezed, rocking her back and forth, looking at Blane all the while. "And, since I have, as you said, a bullying personality, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take Elizabeth home, and knock her around a little bit." He put his head against hers, a bit roughly, but she knew he was only joking. She did her best to look timid and apprehensive, just to make Blane squirm for what he'd done to her and looked tremulously up at Blane, who was doing his best to actually pretend, in her viewing, at least, that he was uncertain of Stefan's temperament.

He cleared his throat. "All right, then, Steff. Like I said, it was just a joke, now why don't we let bygones be-"  
>"What's the matter with you, Blane, you don't actually think that this one's beaten down and cowed by me, do you?" Stefan said. "She's a saucy little minx."<p>

"Yeah, I…figured." Blane said. "But as to you having a bullying personality, well…you do. Or you did. Doesn't look to me like _you've_ been any too cowed by the years, yourself, though."  
>"I certainly would not be described as 'cowed', Blane." Stefan said. "But I have changed a great deal."<br>"Good, good." Blane said. "I hope so."  
>"I'm glad you got what hoped, then, Blane." He shook his head in irritation. "But you know what? I feel that I deserve an apology. You should…it hurt me a great deal, that you stopped speaking to me, after high school. I had a lot of superficial friends, back in my youth, but you were the only one that meant anything to me. I cared a great deal for you, and after you stopped talking to me, it was clear that our friendship to you was less than nothing." Stefan said, and even Elizabeth flinched at the sharp, bitter hurt of his tone, and Patty looked off to the side uneasily. Blane looked down at the tablecloth for a moment.<p>

He sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Steff, you'd been…self-destructing for years. I mean…everyone said, I should quit hanging around with you. Including my mother. I mean, she'd been vocal about it since we were in kindergarten."

"Well, she was a bitch, Blane." Stefan said. Patty's eyes flicked down at the tablecloth her mouth twitching upwards almost imperceptibly, and Stefan glanced over at her. "And I bet Patty agrees with me."  
>"Still got that lack of a filter, huh, Steff?" said Blane, shaking his head.<p>

"All right, maybe I shouldn't have said that." Said Stefan.

"Maybe you shouldn't have indeed." Blane said.

"All right." Patty said. "Let's not start this whole thing up again."

"But Blane," Stefan said quietly, frowning deeply. "I can care a great deal about people in my life who disapprove of me, and I don't mind if they express their opinions, in fact, I respect a person who will be honest enough with me to tell me if I'm in the wrong. I can still respect, and even love, a person who has a negative opinion of me." He shook his head sadly. "But not people who just decide to cut me out of their lives, and stop speaking to me."

Patty studied him thoughtfully. "That was…very moving, Steff." She looked at her husband. "Wasn't it, Blane?"

"Yeah…" Blane sighed. "Look, I guess maybe I should have….called, or written, at least once. You're right. Okay?"  
>"At least once, would have been good." Stefan.<p>

"Yeah. Yes. So…I guess…I'm sorry. Okay?" said Blane. "About my…actions when we were younger. Deciding not to speak to you, and all."

"All right. Well, I accept your apology, Blane." Stefan said. "We don't…need to talk of it anymore."

"Good." Said Blane. "Let's not, then."

"Good." Elizabeth said, cutting her eyes to Blane, who had a still amused, but slightly more wary expression on his face. "You can…tell us all stories about how horrible Stefan was, then Blane. I mean…he said he won't mind."

"Well, I don't know, Elizabeth." Blane replied. "I think the restaurant probably closes eventually, so I'm not sure we'd have enough time to go into proper depth."

Later, in the parking lot, they were all standing in front of the McDonaghs' car, saying their goodbyes.

"You know, Stefan had an Indian roommate in law school, who said in his country, Stefan has what they call 'the analog of the wolf'." Elizabeth informed Blane. "That's what they all called him. 'The Grey Wolf'."

"Oh." Blane laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, for sure Steff has the analog of the wolf. I can really see how that'd work."

"Indeed." Elizabeth said. She looked at Stefan, but he shook his head, looking amused.

"And I apologize for…the throat cancer thing. I shouldn't have-"  
>"Oh, I don't think you need to apologize to <em>me<em>, Elizabeth." Blane replied.

"Uh huh. Well." Elizabeth said. "It's a wonder he doesn't. Isn't it true, Blane, that Stefan started smoking in the sixth grade?"  
>"Oh, that's true, all right." Blane said. "That's very true. And more often than not, he'd be doing it right out in the halls, with seemingly <em>no<em> inhibition about getting caught."

"Oh, wow." Elizabeth said in mock astonishment.

"Yeah, he was always walking around with a cigarette in his hand, wherever he went, and sometimes, he'd just drop the cigarette butt just…about ten feet from the principal's office." Said Blane. Elizabeth shook her head, smiling.

"Yep. He was really something else, all right." Said Blane. He shook his head, smiling a little. "No, no. Steff's a great guy, really."

"Yes, he is." Elizabeth agreed, taking Stefan's hand.

"And really…it was great seeing you again, Steff." Blane said. "We'll have to do this again sometime."

"Uh huh." Steff said, smiling, but looking a little sad, as he did. He patted his shoulder. "We will."

"Well." Elizabeth said, when they were on the way home. "That was…fun wasn't it?"  
>"For you." Stefan replied.<p>

"Oh, Stefan…" Elizabeth shook her head. "You know it was great, seeing your old friend again. "  
>"In some ways." Stefan said.<p>

"It was." Elizabeth said. "And he cares for you…in his own way. I can tell."

"You don't care for him, in…your own way, do you, Elizabeth?" Stefan looked at her, eyes wide with paranoid worry.

Elizabeth sighed. "No, Stefan." She said, shaking her head.

"You think that he's slimmer than me?" Stefan said. "Don't you?"  
>"I think that he's slimmer than everyone, Stefan." Elizabeth replied.<p>

Stefan shook his head. "You think he's aged better than me?"  
>"No, Stefan." Elizabeth said. "I certainly don't."<br>"He's got kind of a mousy wife, that's for sure." Stefan said. "Very nice, but…mousy."

"Oh, I think she was pretty." Elizabeth said. "She liked you. I could tell. She was all charmed up."  
>"Oh, I don't think so, Elizabeth." Stefan said.<p>

"Oh, don't be so modest." Elizabeth said. "I mean, don't we all eventually succumb to your charm, eventually? It's like that song, by Karen Carpenter, 'Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear'?"  
>"Is it?" Stefan said, glancing at her. "You're telling on yourself, Lizzie."<p>

"Oh, I didn't mean…_me_ personally." Elizabeth said coyly. "I'm immune, of course."

"Of course you are." Stefan said. He glanced at her. "Nice to know that you said to Blane that I sound as though I have throat cancer."

"It just slipped out, accidentally." Elizabeth said. "And he…thought it was funny."

"Well, of course he did." Said Stefan. "He delights in insulting me. As you can see."

"He doesn't mean anything by it, Stefan." Elizabeth said.

"Uh huh. Glad to know that you're so…in tune with one another, that you have little jokes. About me."  
>"We're not 'in tune' with one another, Stefan." Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes.<p>

"You're not in love with him, are you, Elizabeth?" Stefan asked.

"Head over heels." Elizabeth said. "I just saw that…silly, embryonic face, and those darting…nervous looking eyes, and I thought, 'Yeah! I'm going to leave Stefan for him tonight, if he'll have me.'" She looked at him. "Isn't that absurd."  
>"He likes you, I'm sure of it." Stefan snorted. "That's why he said that, about 'throat cancer'. He wants to flirt with you."<br>"Oh, he just wants to make jokes about you, I'm sure, Stefan."  
>"I wouldn't be so naïve, Elizabeth." Stefan said. "Of course he'd be attracted to a pretty, young thing such as yourself."<br>"Not that young." Elizabeth demurred. "I'll be thirty…way sooner than I want to be. Way, way sooner."

"Younger than him." Said Stefan. "Not to mention his mousy wife."  
>"I'm sure that's not true, Stefan." Elizabeth said. "He's your friend."<br>"Well, he's too much of a wimp to try to steal you, anyway." Stefan said. "Though, as you can probably see…he's a sly wimp. He pretends he's docile, but he's insinuating. Very insinuating."

" 'Steal me'?" Elizabeth said. "Like I was property?"  
>"Oh, you know what I mean, Elizabeth." Stefan said.<p>

"I don't know…but I don't want it to be true." Elizabeth said. "I want you two to be on…good terms."

"Oh, we will be, as long as you don't have any kind of attraction to him." Said Stefan.

"Well, rest assured, I don't."

"Well, why did you make jokes at my expense to him, Elizabeth?" Stefan said. "It's one thing for you to say it to me, but not to him."

"Oh, Stefan." Elizabeth responded. "It was never…I really said it because…I like the danger. That you might find out that I said it. I like feeling afraid of you, you see. It's…sexy."

"Oh." Stefan said. "Well."

"I said it because…I think it's sexy the way you have that raspy…drone." Elizabeth said. "You know that. A wimp like Blane doesn't get the joke, you see."  
>"No. I…I guess not, Elizabeth." Stefan said, casting a glance over at her.<p>

Elizabeth licked her lips nervously, feeling some strong pangs of guilt over the _other_ thing that she'd said to Blane on the phone, that might not be met with such good humor, no matter her intent in saying them. "And…for you to think that I would want some…breakable twig, like your boy Blane?" Elizabeth said.

"He's in good shape. I'll give him that." Stefan said.

"I don't want a slender guy like him." Elizabeth said. She placed her hand against his chest, and slid it in a circular motion. "I haven't forgotten…the joys of a full-bodied man."  
>Stefan made a noise of derision. "I'm driving, Lizzie."<p>

"You know how I like the chubby men, Stefan." Elizabeth said. "Let's do what Billy Halleck and his wife did, in the car."  
>"Let's not." Stefan said. "I wonder if it would give Stephen King pause to know that his writing has stirred up these…appetites in a young woman."<br>"For chubby men?" Elizabeth said.

"Yes." Stefan said. "For chubby men, and sex in cars, and…" He shook his head. "You know, I've had sex in a car, before."

"You have?" Elizabeth said. "While you were driving?"

"Yes." Stefan said.

"Actual sex? Intercourse?" Elizabeth said.

"Well…" Stefan shrugged. "Sort of."

"Who was it? Was it Bennie?"

"Her sister, actually." Stefan said. "She got a kick out of it."  
>"Wasn't that the cokehead? Cathy?"<br>"Yes." Stefan said. "It was just once, actually. I guess it's no wonder Blane dropped me, is it? I was very screwed up." He shook his head, looking very sad.

"Oh, Stefan." Elizabeth said. "He knows…he shouldn't have done it."

"I guess." Stefan said.

"Will you make love to me in the car?" Elizabeth said. "Like you made love to Cathy?"  
>"I'd hardly call it making love, and no, Elizabeth." He shook his head. "You know better than that."<br>"Just a little joke, Stefan." Said Elizabeth. "Besides, we wouldn't want to run over any gypsies, would we?"  
>"Gypsies? That's rather a racist term, Elizabeth." He looked at her chidingly. "As is a story about Eastern European people as vengeful, spell-casting crazies."<br>"Oh, no." Elizabeth said. "Here we go. More political lectures. I swear, you _are_ like Bill Hicks."

"Well, maybe it's not _truly_ the ideas put forth by the story, so much as…the metaphor behind what you're referencing, that bothers me, Elizabeth." He said, as the car came to a stop in a space in the building's parking garage. He took the key out of the ignition, and look at her resignedly.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth said.

"You're trying to say that I'm fat, Elizabeth. The protagonist of that story is a fat man."  
>"Not fat. Chubby." Elizabeth said. "And the protagonist of the story is a chubby lawyer."<br>"We've seen the movie. He was a good deal more than chubby."  
>"Well, it's a metaphor, Stefan." Elizabeth said. "You don't have to take it a hundred percent literally."<br>She shook her head. "A lot of people didn't like that book, and the movie wasn't great, but…it's always been one of my favorites, and now I know why. Because I was meant to be with a chubby lawyer."  
>"All right, Lizzie." Stefan replied.<p>

"You know how I adore chubby lawyers, Stefan." Elizabeth said.

"I do." Stefan replied.

"Nothing makes me hotter than a…well-cushioned man, Stefan." Said Elizabeth. "I want to have chubby sex with you." She stroked his arm.

"Well, we'll see, won't we?" Stefan said.

"It's a good thing to have." Said Elizabeth. "A well-padded man. And they keep you warm during the winter. You don't think I want some brittle, sharp-angled thing like your old pal, do you?"  
>"I wouldn't imagine so, Lizzie."<p>

"He couldn't keep a girl warm at all." Elizabeth said. "It's like comparing…an old, creaky daybed, with a feather bed." She smiled sweetly at him.

"It certainly is."  
>"And useful in case of a life-threatening situation." Elizabeth said. "You know what fat does, don't you, Stefan? It <em>floats<em>." She said, elongating the vowels of the last word.

"Elizabeth-"

"You'll float, too." Elizabeth said fervently, placing her hand on his thigh, one of her knees inching away from the other in excitement, as she said the words. "You'll _float."_ She leaned closer to him, placing her hand against his throat, and stroking it gently. She placed her hand on his chin, and squeezed, looking at him consideringly. Stefan looked back at her, a kind of worried, concerned apprehension in his eyes, but still not exactly disinterest, gazing down at her hand cupping his face. She squeezed a little harder, holding his head in place, before leaning her face towards him. She slid her hands up and down his chest, then placed her lips to his, and kissed him forcefully, enthusiastically. Stefan returned her kiss, patting her on the back with trepidation.

Elizabeth looked at him, her breathing ragged."Kiss me, fat bo-

"All right. That's enough of that." Stefan said, deftly moving his face away from hers. He shuddered.

"Too far?" Elizabeth said.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Lizzie, but…" said Stefan. "I guarantee you, there won't be any chubby sex for you, if you start quoting Pennywise."

The following May, Elizabeth was again pregnant, two months, this time, when they got a letter announcing Stefan's thirtieth high school reunion. Elizabeth was eager to go, having great curiosity about the people Stefan went to high school with, however, Stefan was not nearly as enthusiastic as she. In fact, suffice to say, Stefan was not enthusiastic about it at all. But, after she had begged, pleaded, and bargained with him, Stefan had grudgingly agreed to go.

The reunion was held at the same hotel, Stefan had said, where they had all had their senior prom, thirty years ago. A brunette with gleaming white teeth had greeted them at the door, introducing herself as the president of the alumni association, smiling widely at Stefan, wanting to talk over old times, however, Stefan was most definitely not the chatty sort, and soon deflected her, though politely, and excused the two of them.

Stefan was greatly unwilling to mingle with anyone there, and looked resolutely for the only one that he was even mildly interested in speaking with, Blane, who they had not seen or talked to since their dinner. He walked over to Blane, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"How you doing there, sport?" Stefan asked Blane.

Blane turned around. "Oh, Steff." he said. "Good to see you. How are the twins?"

"Good. They'll be a year soon."

"Good, good. And Elizabeth?"  
>"Oh, she's fine." said Stefan. "She's here with me, of course. I don't know where she went. She's flitting."<p>

"Is she now?" said Blane. He shook his head, smiling.

"Haven't talked with you since last time, Blane? Been busy?"

"I have, yeah." said Blane. "With work, and everything. What about you, you been working hard?"

"My fingers to the bone, friend." Stefan said.

"Yeah?" Blane said. "Lots of people getting divorced, and fired, and injured?"

"Unfortunately." Stefan said. He shook his head.

"I'm just kidding old buddy." Blane said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you help a lot of people, too. Right?"  
>"I try to help all of them whatever way they need it, Blane." said Stefan. He shook his head. "Elizabeth dragged me here, of course."<p>

"I'm sure she did, Steff."

"I have no desire to talk to _any_ of these people again, do you?" Stefan said. "As far as I'm concerned, they're all bums. I don't even know what to say to them."

"Does you not knowing what to say to them automatically make them bums, or is it something else?" Blane said.

"Yes, Blane, it does." Stefan said, looking at him irritably. Blane shook his head, smiling. Just then, Elizabeth approached.

"Oh, hello, Elizabeth." Blane said, smiling at her, with his usual look of amusement. "Steff tells me that you dragged him here. Did you?"

"I did." Elizabeth said. "If it wasn't for me, Stefan probably wouldn't ever leave the house."

"Now that simply isn't true, Lizzie." Stefan said.

"It's pretty much true." Elizabeth said. She bit her lip. "I want him to talk with Andie again. See what she looks like now."

Blane looked a bit nonplussed at this, clearing his throat. "I...I wouldn't do that, Elizabeth."  
>"Why not?" Elizabeth said.<p>

Blane sighed. "Because she...she doesn't want to talk to him. They certainly didn't part on great terms, Elizabeth."  
>"Oh, Blane." Elizabeth said. "That was thirty years ago. She doesn't care about stuff like that, I'm sure."<p>

"Well, I certainly don't want to have any dealings with her, Elizabeth." Stefan said.

"See? He doesn't want to, Elizabeth." Blane said.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with you, Blane." Elizabeth said. "Why don't you mind your own business, now?"

Blane raised his eyebrows, and shrugged, swirling the ice in a drink he had, looking none too happy.

Sometime later, Elizabeth met up with Blane in the corridor of where the reunion was being held.

"Hey." she said softly. "How's it going?"

"Oh, it's going okay, Elizabeth." said Blane.

"I..." She looked off to the side for a minute. "You're not...angry with me about the Andie thing, are you?"

"No, no." Blane said. "Just...why do you care so much about things like this? All these people Steff went to school with?"

"I don't know. I just am." Elizabeth said. "What about you? You're here, aren't you? Why did you come, if you don't think it's something to care about?"

"Oh, Patty likes any excuse to get dressed up, and go to functions. Me, I'd...rather not have to see all the people I spent my high school years with. College, maybe. But not high school."

"Does that include Steff?" Elizabeth asked.

Blane looked at her thoughtfully. "No." he said, after a moment.

They were silent for a moment.

"As do you." Blane said, turning to her. "Like to get dressed up and go to functions, I'm sure. But that's not all it is, is it? You've got some...weird fascination."

"With life."

"With Steff. You want to...I don't know. Know everything there is to know about him, even the people he went to school with, years ago."  
>"With reunions. I like seeing people, and what they're like, then and now. I've always wished I could...time travel, you know. This is as close as I get."<br>"Yeah?" said Blane. "This is like a trip into the distant past for you?"  
>"Sort of." Elizabeth said. "Being here reminds me of a line from this song by my favorite group, growing up. The Bangles. 'Time, time, time. See what's become of me.'"<br>"Ohhh...that could be taken many ways." Blane said.

"Couldn't it, though?" Elizabeth said. "Why? Do you think _some_ people have been victims of time?"

"Uhhh..." Blane said. He shook his head, smiling at her in amazement. "Could be. But I'm not going to say which."  
>"Time, or calories?"<br>Blane just looked at her, shaking his head. "Nice. Very loyal."

"Isn't it?"  
>"I'm sure Steff would love to hear about what his sweet girl says behind his back." He smirked at her. "Lizzie."<p>

"Watch it."

"Oh, I'm just kidding." Blane said. He shook his head."Although, if I'm being honest, I was a little pissed off at you, the last time. Just a little. You set me up."  
>"I did no such thing." said Elizabeth. "If you mean when you said that about throat cancer. I <em>asked<em> you not to mention it."  
>"I didn't think you actually told him to his face that he sounds like he has throat cancer. I just thought it'd be a little joke that yeah, would go over his head."<br>"Because you think that Stefan is such an...intractable person, that he could never have a sense of humor about himself?"

"I don't know." Blane said. "I didn't think he'd be the kind of guy who'd joke with his wife like that, no. I mean, heaven help the poor soul who would go up to Steff, and say 'You sound like you have throat cancer', when we were in school. I would not want to be the person who had to do that back then, let me tell you."

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, it isn't high school, anymore, Blane, and Stefan is a middle-aged husband and father."  
>"Indeed." Blane said. "People change. Sometimes."<p>

"Want to point out any of those poor souls he victimized to me?" Elizabeth said, biting her lip.

"I would love to, Elizabeth." Blane said. He smiled wryly at her. Elizabeth smiled back.

When the reunion was winding down, Elizabeth and Stefan were standing in the lobby, when Blane walked up to them.

"Well." he said. "Patty's about ready to leave, so I guess we're going to take off."

"All right, Blane." Stefan said, and Elizabeth noticed that he was frowning a little, sadlly. She felt a lump in her throat the size of a tennis ball, upon seeing this, and cleared her throat.

"Blane." Elizabeth said. Blane turned to her.

"Yes, Elizabeth?"  
>"I think you should give your friend a hug." She glanced at the floor. "I mean, I know he's a noted...tyrant of your class, feared by many, and he'd never say it, but it'd mean a lot to him."<p>

"I see." Blane said. "Well, since you ordered me to." He walked up to Steff, and embraced him quickly, patting him on the back.

"It's always great seeing you two, really." Blane said. He shook his head. "She's a little officious. And odd. I guess you've found your soul mate, Steff."

"Indeed I have, Blane." Stefan said. "And..indeed she is."  
>"Well." Blane said. "Until next time, I guess."<p>

"Until next time, sport." Stefan said.

"Yeah." Blane said, studying them, and looking a little sad. "Well, see you."

He walked down the lobby of the hotel, Elizabeth and Stefan both watching him contemplatively.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days before she made the first call to Blane, Elizabeth made another phone call, this one directly to the home number that she had found, in her search.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered, not unfriendly, but Elizabeth thought that she heard a slight wary note in it.

"Hello. Hi." Elizabeth said, nervous suddenly. "May I speak to...Andrea?"  
>"Speaking." the woman responded.<p>

"Andrea Dale?"  
>"Yes." Andrea said, a her voice rising slightly in impatience. "This is she."<br>"And you were...Andrea Walsh? In high school?"  
>"Yes." Andrea said, a questioning note in her voice. "Um...to whom am I speaking?"<br>Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Um...my name is...Elizabeth. Elizabeth Grey."  
>"Okay." Andrea said. "Do I know you?"<p>

"Not exactly." Elizabeth responded. "This is going to sound weird, but I...well, I'm the spouse...of someone you knew. In...high school."  
>"The spouse of someone I knew in high school." said Andrea. "Okay."<p>

"I'm...I'm the wife of...of Stefan Grey. Steff, as he was known then, but he hates the nickname, so...he prefers to be called Stefan now."

"Steff...oh." said Andrea. "Right."  
>"Do you...remember him?"Elizabeth said. "Steff?"<br>"Just barely." Andrea said. There was a moment's silence. "I'm sorry..." Andrea said. "Why are you calling me now?"  
>"I...um. I was curious. About you. About him." Elizabeth said, swallowing nervously. "About what he was like then."<p>

"About what _Steff_ was like then?" Andrea said.

"Yes." Elizabeth said.

"Why?" Andrea asked quizzically.

"I don't know." Elizabeth said. "I just am."

There was a moment's silence. "Well." Andrea said after a minute. "I barely knew Steff."

"Okay." Elizabeth said. "But he...liked you. Back then."  
>"I guess." Andrea said.<p>

"He asked you out." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah. I guess he..." Andrea trailed off. "And you're his wife?"

"I am." Elizabeth said.

"Do you call up every girl he asked out?"

"No..." Elizabeth trailed off. "I'm...pregnant, you see. We're going to have a baby."  
>"Uh huh."<br>"And..." Elizabeth said. "I want to know if...if he did anything really awful. To you. In high school.. So I can...in case it turns out he did horrible things that he hasn't told me about. Like crimes against humanity or something."  
>"I see." Andrea said, though her voice conveyed the opposite. "Like what, exactly?"<br>"Like...if he were the kind who would buy a drunk a drink." said Elizabeth. "You know?"

"I wouldn't know." said Andrea. "Like I said, I didn't know him really well."

"Was he like that guy, you know that guy, who kidnapped that girl, in Aruba? You know the one. Van Der something?"  
>"I...not that I know of." Andrea said, speaking slowly. She sniffed.<p>

"He ever rape anyone?"  
>"What?"<p>

"Nothing." Elizabeth said.

"Are you okay?" Andrea said, sounding concerned now, a slight high pitch in her voice.

"Yes." Elizabeth said, her heart pounding, and her throat constricting with guilt, over the things that she'd uttered, in the past minute, and her inability to ever unsay them. "I'm just...I worry. I get these ideas in my head."  
>"Are you young?" Andrea said. "You sound young."<br>"Twenty-nine." Elizabeth replied.

"I see." Andrea said. She was silent.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I just...I..." Elizabeth sniffled. "I just feel...like I'm worried that...maybe there's a side of him that's going to come out...when our kids are born...that he's going to be mean, and cruel to them, and..." She sniffled, feeling tears well up in her throat.

"Well." Andrea said, after a moment's silence. "Is he...mean, and cruel to you?"

"No." Elizabeth said. "Not at all. He's a wonderful husband."  
>"Then why are you worried he'll be mean to your kids?"<p>

"Because...he's told me...he was kind of a bully in high school, and college, and..." She sniffled. "I just..I'm worried our children...might be unhappy."  
>"I...they'll be his children." Andrea said. "I think, unless he's a monster like the kind you brought up, that they'll be used to him, if they've grown up with him."<p>

"Do you have children?" Elizabeth asked.

"I...uh huh." Andrea said. "We do. They're almost out of the house, luckily."

"Is their father a...bullying sort?"

"Hell, no." Andrea said. "He's a sweetheart. _They _bully him. I'm the tough parent."  
>"I see." said Elizabeth. "Is...is your husband Phil?"<br>"Yes." Andrea said. "Why?" Her voice had an ever present, suspicious and accusing tone to it, Elizabeth noticed.

"Was he...called Duckie? In high school?"

"Yep." said Andrea, sounding slightly amused. "How did you know that?"

"Steff told me." Elizabeth said.

"Right."  
>"So." Elizabeth said. "Steff...asked you out. A lot. Back then. Right?"<br>"A few times, yeah."

"And you told him no."  
>"I did." Andrea said, sounding kind of impatient.<p>

"Why?"  
>"Because...I didn't like him." Andrea said.<p>

"He was a real jerk, right?"

"I guess he was, and...I just didn't like him." Andrea said. "I was not attracted to him."

"Okay." said Elizabeth. "And Steff's ego...just could not handle that. Right?"  
>"Um...I guess. You'd have to ask him, but." She clicked her tongue. "He made a real pest of himself. That I remember."<br>"But why?" Elizabeth said.

"Why what?"  
>"Why weren't you attracted to him?" Elizabeth said. "I've seen pictures of him, when he was eighteen. Could anyone ever have been more beautiful, or sexy? No."<br>"Uh.." Andrea said. "That's a matter of opinion. And in my opinion, he wasn't, okay?"

"What was so wrong with him, Andrea?" Elizabeth said.

"He just was not my type." Andrea said. "End of story."  
>"You're just not into, really sexy, golden haired, smoky voiced guys?" Elizabeth said, lolling her tongue in her mouth.<p>

"Apparently not." Andrea said. "But you have fun with that, okay? Go crazy."  
>"Well, Andrea." Elizabeth said. "I think you were completely bonkers to reject Steff. I really do."<br>"That's great." Andrea said. "Good to know."  
>"Of course, you wouldn't want him now." Elizabeth hastily added. "He's fat."<p>

"Okay." Andrea said. "Um...isn't that your husband?"

"Yeah. So?"  
>"So...I don't think you should be saying that, about him." Andrea replied. "That isn't very nice."<p>

"Maybe you're right." Elizabeth said. She paused. "But tell me, Andrea...was there...someone else? That you liked better, back then?"  
>Andrea sighed. "Did he ask you to call me, or something?"<p>

"No." Elizabeth said. "No, he knows nothing about this. And he'd freak the hell out if he did. This is a...project of mine."

"Well, why do you care? About me, or anything that happened with us, back then?"

Elizabeth sighed. "You know what? I...I'm sorry, Andrea. I know how this looks. I should never have called."

"I don't know how it looks." said Andrea. "I...it's not like anything I've ever encountered, before, I'll tell you that. Just...calling me up, out of the blue, but..."  
>"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Okay. I know, I.."<br>Andrea sighed. "Look." she said. "You're pregnant. I've been pregnant before. I know...sometimes you can do, or say, crazy things. These hormones can really mess with you. So...maybe with you, it takes the form of...calling up people your husband used to know in high school. It's like drunk dialing, right? Though...you're not drunk...I hope. Being pregnant and all."

"I guess." said Elizabeth, frowning.

"Well." said Andrea. "I don't know what you want to know, or think you could find out from me, but, like I said. I barely even knew Steff. He was one of the rich kids. And I...wasn't. And yes, he asked me out several times, and I turned him down."  
>"And there was one of the...rich kids...that you <em>did<em> like, though." said Elizabeth. "Wasn't there?"

"Yes, there was a guy that I did like, who was very well-to-do."

"Blane." Elizabeth said. "That was his name, wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes, Blane." Andrea said. "Yes. And Steff did do everything in his power to keep...Blane and myself apart. He was annoying, and a thorn in his side, according to Blane. And he couldn't take no for answer, and he really annoyed both of us."  
>"And Blane stopped talking to him? After high school?"<br>"Yeah, I guess that's right, but..." Andrea trailed off.

"But what?"

"But, if you want to know the truth, looking back on it, Steff barely registers in my memory. He was just a guy...who made an idiot of himself, because he was a sore loser. But Blane..."

"What happened with Blane, Andrea?" Elizabeth said. "If you don't mind my asking."  
>"Well...he's an asshole." Andrea said. "Long story short. I mean, not that I give a damn now, but...well, he was the one that turned out to be the most despicable, if you ask me." She sighed. "He...broke up with me. In college. Freshman year. For some girl, he met, at the college he was attending."<br>"Oh." Elizabeth said softly. "Wow."  
>"But...it's nothing. I mean, it wasn't then. It was a huge deal, you know, and I cried a lot, and was depressed, and it was really a bad time. I thought he was a sweet, sensitive guy, and you know, he apologized, like he always does, and said...it just happened, and tried to explain to me why it wasn't his fault. Come to think of it, he did that when he broke up with me the first time, too. Then it was because he was afraid of what his rich friends would think."<br>"Including Steff." Elizabeth said.

"Including Steff, yeah." Andrea said. "Anyway, Phil, my husband...he was there. For me. And he was hurt, too, you know, mostly on my behalf, of course, but Phil and Blane had become good friends, of sorts, back then. But not anymore."

"Because he's a liar." Elizabeth said. "Blane. Isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's a liar." Andrea said.

"Smiling faces tell lies." Elizabeth said.

"Well, I don't know about _that_." Andrea said. "Phil, my husband always keeps a smile on his face, and he certainly isn't a liar. He's the most truthful person I've met."  
>"Well." Elizabeth said. "Steff says that Blane was a hateful coward. Always seeming to want to please, but in the end uncaring."<br>"I don't know about hateful." Andrea said. "But he sure is a coward. But I'm grateful, because now I know, about him, and now I also know, that Phil is the best husband, and father that anyone could have."

"What does he do?" Elizabeth said. "For a living?"  
>"He's a chiropractor." Andrea replied. "It's funny, because no one would ever have guessed that about him, back when we were younger, that he would become one. He wore the craziest clothes, and he was not what anyone would call scholastic. Boy, were his grades terrible. But he was smart, incredibly so, in fact...he just...hated school. But they call him Dr. Dale now, if you can believe that."<br>"Pretty impressive." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah. He's a big dork at heart, though. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"What about you?" Elizabeth said. "What do you do?"

"I'm a clothing designer. I co-own a design company with a friend of mine."

"Oh. Sounds like a great job." Elizabeth said.

"It is." Andrea said. "It's always been my dream, to design clothes. I've been doing it since I was a kid."

"What about...Steff?" Andrea said. "What's he doing now?"  
>"He's a lawyer." Elizabeth replied.<p>

"Oh."

"Yeah, in fact, you might see him in the phone book, and he has little magnets, that sometimes come...with the yellow pages, you know. He and my dad. They're partners."

"Oh, okay." Andrea said. "Maybe I'll run across it sometime, then."

"I'll bet you have." Elizabeth said.

"Maybe." said Andrea.

"But you probably wouldn't have recognized him." said Elizabeth.

"Maybe not." said Andrea.

"Because he's fat now." said Elizabeth. "Really fat."

Andrea sighed. "Again...that is not very nice. The Steff _I _remember would cut you dead for saying a thing like that."

"Stefan can be spiteful." Elizabeth said. "That's the truth."

"But he's your husband." said Andrea. "Don't you care for him? Why are you calling up complete strangers, and just saying that he's fat? Are you sure you're okay?" Her voice was taking on a concerned, but slightly strident quality, as she said this.

"Of course I do, and I won't say it again, if it offends you so much." Elizabeth said. "But tell me. Why were you so rude to Stefan? Why did you say, 'I have some taste'. You said that. He told me you did."

"Can I ask you something? Why do you care?" said Andrea.

"I just do. I write, so...I'm always curious about things. People. Especially Stefan." Elizabeth said. "When we were dating, I'd ask him questions. 'What was your mother's name?' 'Where did you grow up', Who was the first girl who broke your heart'. Stuff like that. And he'll answer every time. Of course, he has to answer the questions in exact order, a lot of the time...but...he'll give you an exact answer. That's for sure." She paused, reflecting on this statement.

"He didn't...say it was me, did he?" Andrea said. "That..._I _broke his heart, or anything like that, did he?"  
>"No.." Elizabeth said. "No, it wasn't you, who was the first girl who broke his heart, it was...a woman called Cynthia. She's...she slept with his best friend, when they were engaged."<br>"Oh." Andrea said. "Well, good. I mean, about me not breaking his heart, back then, because...that would be a _little_ strange."

"No." Elizabeth said. "No, you didn't break his heart, or anything. You did hurt his feelings somewhat, though. Your rejection of him, for his best friend. Deep down, Stefan is a very sensitive guy."  
>"Oh. Well..."<br>"But he can be spiteful." Elizabeth added hastily. "And that was how he responded back then. Wasn't it?"

"I guess so." Andrea said. "I mean, yeah, it was. But, I'm glad he got over it, and became a successful lawyer, and...everything."  
>"Me too." Elizabeth said. They were quiet for a moment.<p>

"Listen, Elizabeth, I've got to be going, soon," Andrea said, hesitating. "But...are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"Why?" Elizabeth said. "Just because I called you, out of nowhere?"  
>"Well...yes. I mean...maybe you're depressed." said Andrea. "Maybe...you're having troubles. Because of the pregnancy. Do you have someone to...talk to?"<br>"Yes." said Elizabeth, biting her lip sadly. "Yes...I have someone. That I can talk to."  
>"Good." Andrea said.<p>

"Well." Elizabeth said. "I guess...that's all, then."  
>"Okay." Andrea said. "Well...good luck, then. With the baby."<br>"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Good luck to you, too. With Phil, and all."  
>"Thank you." Andrea replied. "Try to breathe, okay?"<br>"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I will, Andrea. And thank you. For...humoring me. I know how it must-"  
>"It looks like...you're bored." Andrea said. "That's all. Maybe lonely. But...don't go calling the wrong people, okay? Some people might not be as nice as I was."<p>

"Okay." Elizabeth replied. "I...shouldn't have said that. About Stefan being fat."  
>"No." said Andrea. "It wasn't a nice thing to say, Elizabeth."<br>"I should probably go to a doctor." Elizabeth said. "Or that condition of mine might get a lot worse."  
>"What?" Andrea said, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"<p>

"Oh, nothing." Elizabeth said.

At Stefan's thirtieth reunion, Elizabeth went up to the red-haired woman who had been pointed out to her by Rita, their alumni association's president, and cleared her throat. The woman turned around, and looked at her uncertainly, gazing a critical eye.

"Hi." Elizabeth said, extending a hand. "Andrea? Andrea Dale?"  
>"Yes?" Andrea said. She continued to look at Elizabeth, perplexed. "I...know I don't know you...you couldn't...are you one of the wives?"<br>"Yes." Elizabeth said. "I'm Elizabeth. Elizabeth Grey. You know. _Stefan's _wife? Steff?"  
>Andrea blinked for a moment, then recognition dawned on her face. "Oh." she said. "Right. I remember."<br>"Yes." Elizabeth said. "Well, I know you'd want to meet Stefan...again. You'd really like him, I know. It'd be a kick, right?"

"Yeah." Andrea said. "Yeah, sure. That's why we're here, right? I guess. Where is he?"  
>"Oh, he's talking to...a friend of his." Elizabeth said, sidestepping that it was Blane. "I'll go find him. I know he'd like to talk with you, and your husband." Stefan, of course, would not, but Elizabeth felt that it would be good for him to see them, since she felt he had little social interaction with people besides those in their family.<p>

"I'll get him." Elizabeth said.

"Okay, then." Andrea said. "We'll be waiting."

After Stefan, who was reluctant to carry on _too_ much of an argument with her in a public place, being a deeply reserved, and even paranoid, sort of person, was marched by her, with a terribly suffering look on his face, over to where Andrea and her husband stood, they all said their hellos.

"Andrea," Elizabeth said. "You remember Stefan, of course. Steff, as he was known in those days."

"Yes." Andrea said, smiling crisply at Stefan. "I remember. How are you, Steff?"

"I'm very well, thank you, Andrea." said Stefan. "Uh..yourself?"  
>"Very well, very well." Andrea said. "It's still Andie, by the way. Uh...you remember my husband, Phil? Phil Dale?" She motioned over to the man next to her, a dark haired man, who was wearing a regular tuxedo, but for the leather jacket over it.<p>

Phil extended his hand. "Hello." he smiled politely. "How's it going, Steff?"  
>"Very well, Phil. And how's it going with you?" Stefan said. "What are you up to now?"<p>

"Uh, well, I'm a chiropractor, now, actually." Phil said, smiling, and Elizabeth noticed, unveiling a rather large set of white teeth when he did.

"Oh, really." said Stefan. "Well, I'm...glad to hear it. Sounds like a...very rewarding job." He looked down at the floor awkwardly.

"Yes." Phil cleared his throat. "And, uh...I..teach a physiology class, down at a local college."  
>"He loves that." Andie said, smiling towards Phil. "He gets to talk for hours at a time."<p>

"Yep." said Phil. "My students all love me, because, you know. I'm always cracking the jokes. Helps them learn the material better, I think."  
>"Oh, I'd think so, yes." Stefan said quietly, still looking a good deal more uncomfortable than he had when talking to Blane.<p>

"Yeah." Phil continued. "Because we all do the same stuff. We all watch movies, and TV, and read books, and we all have relationship issues-

"We do?" Andie said, turning to Phil in mock surprise.

"Oh, sure." Phil said. "Half my anecdotes in class are about all the annoying little things Andie does. No, I'm just kidding." He patted her hand. Andie shook her head.

"And what about you, Andie?" said Stefan. "What do you do?"

"I'm a designer." Andie replied. "Clothes."  
>"Oh." Stefan said. "Very good."<br>"She designed her dress tonight." Phil said, motioning towards his wife. "And of course, she looks smashing. As usual. Right, dear." He shrugged, looking at Stefan and Elizabeth. "She's modest."  
>"As opposed to you." Andie shook her head at him. "Phil has never been modest in his life."<br>"Well, I don't know about that." Phil said. He cast a glance towards Stefan. "A few people here might have made _sure_ I was modest, but..." He shrugged, smiling widely at them. "High school, right?"  
>"Indeed." Stefan said, a new look of nervousness forming over the stiff, pained sort of grimace that Elizabeth knew to be an attempt at a smile. She locked eyes briefly with Andie, who she noticed was looking curiously at Stefan.<p>

"Yep. I was a total dork. But I didn't let that stop me. Did I, Andie?" Phil said, looking at his wife.

"No, you sure didn't, Phil." Andie replied. "Nothing could stop the Duck Man. Could it, Steff?"  
>"Uh...no. I...I guess not, Andie." Stefan said. He cleared his throat. "Do you still go by that, Phil? Your nickname?"<br>"Uh, no, not really." Phil said. "Though our mascot at the office is a duck. For some reason. I don't know, I just told a few patients about my nickname, and then one or two of them kept bringing me ducks, stuffed ducks, ceramic ducks, plastic, you name it. Some of them go on a trip, bring back a duck from a gift shop in China, or France or somewhere. It'll be like this rare duck, they paid a hundred dollars for, and anyway. I can't get away from it, I guess. Oh well." He smiled ruefully.

"Ah." said Stefan. "Well. Sounds like you have fun there, though."

"Oh, yeah. It's great." said Phil. "I really love my patients."  
>"You know," Elizabeth said, turning towards Stefan. "Stefan has a nickname, as well."<p>

"Oh, really?" Phil said in surprise. "What is it?"

"In law school, they called him 'The Grey Wolf'." said Elizabeth. "Because he's such a shrewd, ruthless, attorney. He's the best, you know. Because he has the analog of the wolf."  
>Phil laughed. "Really?" he said.<p>

"Really." Elizabeth said, squeezing Stefan's arm. "Don you, Stefan?"  
>"I guess so, Lizzie." Stefan replied uncomfortably, patting her hand. He cleared his throat. "Well." he said. "It was lovely seeing you two again, really. You seem like...quite the couple." Phil nodded, and Elizabeth noticed him looking at Stefan a little strangely for a minute.<p>

"You know, I have to say." Andie said, looking at Stefan consideringly. "that you...surely have changed a great deal since we were in high school."  
>Stefan looked startled, then cleared his throat. "Well, thank you...a whole lot, Andie, uh, I..." His mouth flickered towards the ground, sourly. "I suppose I've...gotten a bit more...prosperous, but...it really doesn't do to say it, does-"<p>

"No, no, no." Andie said impatiently. "I'm not talking about...physically. I'm talking about...well, you're so courtly, now. I mean, remembering you as that...kind of cocky, arrogant guy, that you were back then, I never would have pictured that you'd be this...formal, mannerly, reserved...person I see in front of me. I mean, you've got your hands...folded in front of you like that, and...I just never would have pictured..." She trailed off, shaking her head. Elizabeth noticed Phil raise his eyebrows slightly, but his ever-present wide smile did not leave his face.

"Not at home." Elizabeth said to her.

"Hmmm?" Andrea said, looking at her like she'd just said something truly odd.

"He's not that way at home. Sweet, and formal. He's still cocky, and arrogant around me. Thinks he knows positively everything, and I know nothing. But that's how husbands are, isn't it?" Elizabeth said.

"Oh. I guess they are." said Andie. Phil laughed, but Elizabeth noticed a slight look of discomfiture on his face.

"But yes." Elizabeth said. "Here he is completely shy, and reserved. Painfully so. I can't even get him to dance with me." The song, 'Magnet and Steel', was playing at that moment.

"Like now." Elizabeth said. She bit her lip, looking at Stefan. "This one has...special meaning, and significance to me. To us."

"It does?" Stefan said, looking at her puzzled.

"Yes, Stefan. It does." said Elizabeth.

"Oh, we've got one like that, too." said Phil. "Andie and I."

"Oh, really?" said Elizabeth with interest. "What is it?"  
>" 'Try a Little Tenderness. Otis. You know Otis?"<br>"I do." said Elizabeth. "That's a great one."  
>"I think so." said Phil, looking at Andie.<p>

Andie cleared her throat. "You should...you should dance with her, Steff."

"Well..."  
>"Yeah," Phil echoed. "Dance with her, Steff."<p>

"Well.." Stefan shrugged. "I guess I owe them that much, right, Elizabeth?"  
>"You certainly do, Steff." Elizabeth replied.<p>

Later that evening, Elizabeth opened the door of the ladies room, and found Andie standing at the sink, adjusting her lipstick. She smiled politely. Andie cleared her throat, and looked at Elizabeth pointedly.

"Don worry." she said. "Your secret's safe with me. About our conversation last year."  
>"Good." said Elizabeth. She hesitated, and turned to Andie, a small smile on her face.<p>

"Did I...disappoint?" she asked.

"About what?" Andie responded.

"You know. My description." Elizabeth said. "Of Steff."  
>Andie clucked her tongue at her, shaking her head.<p>

"No, really." Elizabeth said, going up to her conspiratorially. "You must tell me. I must know, or I'll die. Is he corpulent or isn't he?"  
>"Oh, what do you think, Elizabeth?" Andie said. "I'm sure you don't need me to answer that for you." She shook her head.<p>

"Phil's nice." Elizabeth said. "I really liked meeting him."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." said Elizabeth. "He certainly seems filled with good cheer. And not hideous good cheer, either. Just regular, nice good cheer."

"Well, why would you think it was hideous?" Andie looked at her, frowning in bafflement.

"Just a quote. From a book." Elizabeth shook her head, suddenly feeling foolish about her hobby for a moment, but shrugged. "He seems like a nice guy, is what I mean."  
>"Phil's great." said Andie. "If you can get him to shut up for ten seconds, that is."<br>"I noticed." said Elizabeth. "That he's a talker, I mean."  
>"Yeah. Well." Andie said. "He's great. And I never really realized it, until...well, I told you, before. Until Blane broke up with me, in college. And he was there."<br>"Yeah." Elizabeth said quietly.

"And I never fully realized until then, Elizabeth." Andie said, turning to her. "That Phil would...put my needs ahead of his own. Without thinking about it."  
>"I'm sure."<br>"And...well. I didn't used to think of that as being...a sexy, or desirable, quality in a man, when I was a young woman. I thought that guys like that were...dull, and safe. Reliable. But I was wrong. And I hurt him. Phil. Because of it." She shook her head. "I didn't treat him very well, when we...were growing up, because of that. But...he was still there. In spite of it. And when I came to my senses, and realized how much I loved him...well. But that's what love is, Elizabeth. Putting your partner's needs ahead of your own. You know?"  
>"I do." said Elizabeth. "I do, indeed."<br>Andie sighed. "And he was there for me. When that...creep, Blane broke up with me. And he's here tonight, too." she said, shaking her head in disgust. "He just comes up to me, and looks like he wants to talk...just like nothing ever happened. Like he was not at all culpable in his actions."

"Yeah...he's...shifty." Elizabeth agreed. "He's hurt a lot of people, in fact."

Andie shook her head. "This is my third go-round, you know. At high school reunions. And each time, I've had to see him. Don get me wrong, it's not like I'm not over our breakup. But he's just such...an _insincere_ kind of person. Know what I mean? Running into him, just...rubs me the wrong way. Phil, too. He can't stand him."

"And Steff...?" Elizabeth asked. "How did you feel about seeing him?"

"Steff. Steff's a teddy bear now." Andie said, shaking her head.

"Oh." Elizabeth said. "A...teddy bear, huh?" She felt alarm start to swell, inside her mind.

"Yeah." Andie said. "He's a sweet guy. Very formal, most guys you see, even guys his age, don't have such good manners. Why?"  
>"Is he a teddy bear physically, though? Andie?" said Elizabeth.<p>

"No, no. That is not what I meant."  
>"I thought you had some taste, Andie." Elizabeth said. "You don't like gross, disgusting pig men, do you?"<p>

"I think someone's had a little too many libations. What do you think?" Andie said, patting her arm.

"Not me." Elizabeth replied.

"No?"  
>"No." said Elizabeth. "I'm pregnant again."<br>"Again?" Andie said incredulously. "Has it even been a year?"

"Nope." said Elizabeth.

"So you've been pregnant every time I've spoken with you." Andie said. Elizabeth nodded. "Wow. Well. Perpetually pregnant, by Steff. Seems _you _don't have any taste at all, does it?" She clicked her tongue.

"Guess I don't." said Elizabeth.

"Well." Elizabeth said to Stefan, in the lobby of the hotel. They were looking out at all the people on the dance floor. "That wasn't so awful, was it? Meeting Andie and Phil?"  
>"I guess." Stefan said. He sighed. "They think they're the belles of the ball, I glean that much. Especially that Phil."<p>

"Now, now, _Steff_." Elizabeth said. "Phil is a nice man. And exceedingly charming."

"Lizzie." Stefan said quietly. He shook his head, in irritation, but the hurt was unmistakable in his voice. "And I'm not?"

Elizabeth's lips parted in dismay. "No." she said softly. "That isn't what I meant. At all." She squeezed his hand.

"Wasn't it, though?" Stefan said.

"No." said Elizabeth. "You know it wasn't...but what about that Andie?"

"What about her?"

"Do you like her? Still?"  
>"As much as I did the last two hundred times you asked me that, Elizabeth." He shook his head. "If you have the insane worry that I'm attracted to her, why did you want me to come here, and talk to her?"<br>"I wanted to dispel the notion that she's this gorgeous figment, this...girl in the pink dress."  
>"Well." said Stefan. "Truly, I haven't <em>had <em>that notion in my mind for a long time, but..you needn't worry. It's dispelled. She's.."  
>"Your age."<br>"Not to put too fine a point on it." Stefan laughed derisively.

Elizabeth shrugged. "Well, you like to be truthful." she said. "She looks good, though. She's a very beautiful woman."  
>"I guess." Stefan said.<p>

"Speaking of beautiful women..." Elizabeth said. "How many of them at this reunion have you slept with? All of them, or excluding the fat girls?"  
>"A few of them, both them and their mothers."<br>Elizabeth's lips thinned with disapproval. "At the same time?"

"No, Elizabeth." Stefan said, shaking his head. "Even I'm not that bad. Wasn't." Elizabeth sniffed.

"But that was a lifetime ago, Elizabeth." Stefan shook his head. "I was a vastly different person, then."  
>Elizabeth looked at him, and then out at the dance floor at Andie and Phil, who were dancing slowly together to Otis Redding's 'That's How Strong My Love Is'. She felt a lump in her throat, and tears rise.<p>

"Lizzie?" Stefan said, squeezing her shoulder.

"I...I was talking with this woman, before. Gloria, she said her name was. She said that...you and she went to a party once, and she was tipsy, and you drove her home-"

"Probably also tipsy, or even drunk, myself." said Stefan. "But what of it?"  
>"And...she was full of all these stories about you. How you...gave her flowers, but they were...her mother's flowers that you'd stolen, and...well. I could just tell...that you'd probably slept with her before. I just <em>knew<em>."  
>"Probably right at the moment your parents were...well. Conceiving you." Stefan said. "As you're always so fond of pointing out. In other words..before we met. To say the least. So what of it?"<br>"Well." Elizabeth said. "She was beautiful, that woman. That Gloria. She looked like...like a model. Like Charlize Theron, a little."  
>"She was that type." Stefan said. "And..?"<br>"And...I know she's older than me, and I know that was forever ago, but...you...you could have..." She sniffled.

"Lizzie, stop this." Stefan said quietly.

"You could have a younger Gloria, if you wanted." Elizabeth said. "You could...you...what do you want with me? I...I'm not as beautiful as Gloria. I'm not a gorgeous blonde. I'm cute, at best."

"You're trying to manipulate me, Lizzie." Stefan said.

"No." Elizabeth said. "I just...you've slept with so many of these women here, and I just wonder...do I measure up?"  
>Stefan shook his head. "I can't believe you would even ask me such a question." He look at her sadly.<p>

"And that Rita. You slept with her, too. She said she was Bennie's best friend, she had all kinds of stories about you and Bennie, how you were passing a flask at the prom, and she and her boyfriend were completely scandalized by your behavior, but of course they secretly wished they had the courage to do a lot of the things you did. I bet you tried to teach her how to be like you, didn't you?" She sniffled.

"I certainly hope she's not here tonight." Stefan muttered.

"She's not. Rita said she didn't RSVP. She said she hasn't responded to any of the alumni mailings."  
>"Good." Stefan shook his head. "I don't know if I'd be able to control my mouth around her if I saw her again. After what she did."<p>

"Yes, well. Another gorgeous blond, though, wasn't she. You had a million of them."  
>"So?" Stefan said. "I greatly regret all of them, if you want to know the truth."<p>

"Do you now?" Elizabeth said.

"Indeed I do." Stefan said, stepping behind her, and clasping his hands behind her waist. He deftly moved her hair out of the way, and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. Elizabeth cleared her throat angrily, but he did not move them away.

"Oh, please." Elizabeth scoffed. "Smooth moves. I'll bet you did that with Rita, and Bennie, and Cathy, and Gloria, and every Jo, Sue, and Sherry." She looked at him.

"Lizzie." He wrapped his arms around her more tightly. "Stop it."  
>"Oooh, because you <em>ordered <em>me to, throat cancer?" Elizabeth said, turning to face him.

"Lizzie, I'm going to tell you something." said Stefan.

"Going to whisper cancerous nothings in my ear?"  
>Stefan cleared his throat, ignoring her. "Something I'd like to tell you." He pressed his face against the back of her head.<p>

"Uh huh." Elizabeth said. "Is it a secret?"  
>"Not such a secret...but..." He whispered in her ear. "I love you with all my heart, Lizzie."<p>

"You don't _have_ a heart, Stefan." Elizabeth replied. "You're a slimy lawyer."

"Uh huh." Stefan said. "Well. If I did, I'd love you with all of it, Liz dear. That's the difference. Between you. And anyone I slept with. Which is none of your business. Or wanted to sleep with, for that matter."  
>"I don't trust you, Stefan." Elizabeth demurred, but she was only teasing.<p>

"Yes, you do, Lizzie." said Stefan. He pressed his lips to her neck again. "And you should. Because I love you. With all my heart. As I indicated before."  
>"Uh huh." Elizabeth said.<p>

"And I know that on some level, you truly, truly want to make sure that...well. That people that I went to high school with...realize what a success I am, and how much I've changed. You're doing this for me."  
>"What do you mean, 'on some level'." Elizabeth asked, turning to face him.<p>

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know, you...acted as though my past should be thrown in my face. Yeah, Rita, and Blane, and Andie and everybody else think of me as being a screwed up, promiscuous...wastrel.. Am I to understand that you do, too? I thought you supported me, and saw me for what I am, not what I was."

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth said. "I get...jealous."  
>"I know." Stefan said.<p>

"What do you mean, on some level?" Elizabeth said."On the most fundamental level, I want people to think that you've changed. So you'll stop being so insecure about things."  
>"I'm not insecure, Lizzie." said Stefan. "But even if I was...what these people think wouldn't fix it. Would it?"<br>"No." Elizabeth said softly. "No, I guess not."

"But thank you all the same, Lizzie." Stefan said. "Don't think I don't appreciate you effort. But I came here for you. You realize that, right?"

"I guess."

"I did." said Stefan. "Of course I did. I'd do anything to make you happy." He caressed her hand, gently.

"Would you now?"  
>"Indeed I would." said Stefan. "Because I love you so." He embraced her more tightly. She looked off in the other direction, still pretending to be angry.<p>

"Lizzie, you haven't said it back to me, and...well. You know how I am." He pressed his mouth to her ear. "I'm volatile, and unpredictable, like your new found gal pals have all told you."  
>"Those middle-aged bitches aren't my gal pals, Stefan, and anyway they didn't-"<p>

"Or maybe you really love that rabbit toothed idiot over there. See if you can wrestle him away from Ms. Fashion Plate."  
>"That Barney Fife lookin' dude?" Elizabeth said, looking at him, still dancing with his wife across the room. "What would I want with a geek like him?"<br>"You said he was 'charming'." Stefan said. He made a noise of outraged disdain. " 'Charming'. Can you imagine. You said that of a man who attacked me in the halls of our hallowed institution, by the way. I still haven't forgotten that. Have you no loyalty?"  
>"Well, why don't you go over there, and confront him about it, then?" Elizabeth said. "Since it still bothers you so much."<br>"I would, but his teeth frighten me." Stefan replied. "They look like they could do some damage. They remind me a bit of Pennywise."  
>"Oh, my word." Elizabeth said, doing her best to suppress laughter. "Have you been drinking?"<p>

"Not a drop, Lizzie." Stefan replied.

"Heaven help us when you were." Elizabeth shook her head.

"Oh, did Rita tell you that? Or was it Gloria?"  
>"Blane." Elizabeth said. "He told me tonight, that you made him show you the key, to his parents' liquor cabinet, in in the eighth grade, and then you both got drunk, and..."<br>"And...?"  
>"And he said that he was desperate to hide it from his parents, but you didn't give a damn, in fact, you told him that you wanted to get caught."<br>"Perhaps I did." said Stefan. "And he didn't. He was afraid, as usual. He wanted to drink the liquor, though, didn't he? He just didn't want to get caught doing it. That was always the difference between myself and him."  
>"Yeah." Elizabeth said quietly.<p>

"Anyway," said Stefan. "That's completely irrelevant. What concerns me is that you still haven't said it. That you love me. I'm very concerned, Lizzie. You never know what I might do, you know."  
>"You're not going to sleep with any of these old whores if I don't, are you?"<br>"No." Stefan said, pressing his lips to her hair. "No old whores. There's only one _young_ whore that I love."

"Well, I love you, too." Elizabeth said softly. "You know that."

"Sure you're not...torn between two lovers?" Stefan said. "Blane and Phil?"  
>"Oh, wow. I am." Elizabeth said. "And what a choice, too. The elderly embryo, and Mr. Chattery Teeth." She briefly locked eyes with Phil from across the room, for a moment, and felt a brief embarrassment, but he smiled warmly at her, and she smiled back.<p>

"He knows what you're saying about him, Stefan." said Elizabeth. "He knows we're talking about his teeth."  
>"Maybe his teeth know independently of himself, Elizabeth." Stefan replied.<p>

"The Chattery Teeth always come back for revenge, Stefan." Elizabeth said. Stefan shuddered.

"His teeth aren't going to give you night terrors, are they?"  
>"They might, Lizzie." said Stefan. "You'll have to stay close to me tonight. Make sure I don't go out a window or anything."<br>Elizabeth swallowed, feeling nauseous worry at the thought. "Yeah, right. Convenient excuse."  
>"I'm talking about more than sex here, Lizzie."<p>

"Sure you are." Elizabeth replied.


End file.
